Peer Pressure
Going into high school, I heard from countless adults all about the harms of peer pressure. They preached the importance of restraint and maturity, especially regarding substances. I figured that I would be offered alcohol and drugs at every corner of my school because of how much I heard about it.
Peer pressure is really just FOMO in disguise. People want to experience what their friends do, and therefore make stupid decisions. My generation is actually incredibly respectful in terms of peoples’ boundaries. I don’t feel pressured to try vapes or alcohol, as I feel like saying “no” would be effective and respected. However, it is not substances I feel pressured to try every day at school, it is something much scarier to me.
AI
ChatGPT has found its way into every laptop at my school. In my English class, people use it to write essays on the class books they never even picked up. In my Marketing class, people use it to generate products and advertisements that they copy and paste into a slideshow. Meanwhile, I spend hours critiquing my own work so that I can earn the best grade possible.
During group projects, I struggle. I’m somewhat of a control freak, so I like to micromanage. However, I tend to shrink when people say things like “I’ll just ChatGPT it” because in my eyes, it is the most inconsiderate thing somebody could do to another classmate.
Environmental issues aside, the rise of AI encourages anti-intellectualism within the USA. People don’t do their own work anymore and students refuse to even look at their assignments. I’ve heard my classmates quite literally admit to not doing a single assignment by themselves during the year. So, by pushing AI use into a group project, they are not only taking away from my learning, but are jeopardizing my grade with plagiarism.
To people like me, who value learning and mental creativity, ChatGPT is something that destroys critical and unique thinking. Yet, I find myself scared to speak up because if I do, people who don’t understand will mock my seriousness with words of discouragement. Why is being a student seen as embarrassing in modern America?
I sometimes wish I was faced with drug-related peer pressure, because maybe then I would be able to refuse.
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This is a very powerful message. I do feel that every generation has had their own unique experience of technical evolution. Computers, dial-up/WiFi internet, and now AI. It’s alarming to see how fast technology continues to evolve. With AI and the pressure to use it and lean in is impacting people of all ages. Large organizations pushing it all the way down to schools. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Please don’t ever be scared to speak your truth. You are truly inspirational, not just for other students but people of all ages. Please keep sharing :).
@Kathryn.writes you bring an interesting perspective that, as the parent to a tween, is one I hadn’t considered. You’re absolutely right to like AI to a drug or other similar, potentially addictive, damaging agent.
In the “real world”/business setting, NOT leveraging AI is questioned because it looks like a reluctant, lazy, or disengaged employee. Like much of everything, there’s a balance of being offered the chance to try something new with security, taking advantage of something new, or just ignoring it outright. How do we offer such a contagious resource to our upcoming generation with boundaries we adults don’t yet know ourselves?
Keep sharing your views @kathryn.writes because it’s what helps shed light on what otherwise might stay in the dark.