AI-generated content is becoming more prevalent as individuals and businesses alike look for ways to streamline their creative processes. As a writer, I am both nervous and intrigued by the possibilities of AI. From a creative workers’ perspective, I worry companies looking to cut costs will use AI as an easy and cheap way to mass produce content. From a broader human perspective, I am curious about how AI can be used to diversify content and enable more people to be in this space.
While many AI content tools exist, they aren’t free or for public use. OpenAI, however, has launched a free program, ChatGPT, which generates responses to questions and commands posed by users.
I decided to put the tool to the test by asking a series of questions that could help me produce an informative blog post on whether my fifth grader needs a smartphone. If you follow my blog, you may recall, I already wrote about this topic, and if you want to read that post for comparison, you can do so here.
Please note that up to and including this paragraph has been written by me. I use italics to differentiate the AI-generated portions below.
My first test of ChatGPT was to ask the question posed by the title of my blog:
Does my fifth-grader need a smartphone?
ChatGPT generated this response:
It ultimately depends on your individual situation and the specific needs of your child. A smartphone can be a useful tool for a fifth-grader, as it can help them stay connected with friends and family, access educational resources, and even learn responsibility. However, it’s important to carefully consider whether your child is ready for the responsibility of owning a smartphone, and to set appropriate boundaries and rules for its use. It’s also a good idea to discuss the decision with your child and involve them in the process.
Though this is a well-written answer, I think it is vague and fails to give a concrete answer to parents who may be looking for a more thorough discussion on the benefits and dangers of smartphone use.
Wanting to see if the program would give me more if I gave it more specific parameters, I commanded ChatGPT to:
Explain the pros and cons of smartphone use in children ages 5 to 12.
ChatGPT generated this response:
There are both pros and cons to allowing children in the age range of 5 to 12 to use smartphones. One potential benefit is that smartphones can provide a convenient and portable way for children to access educational content and tools, such as educational apps and online resources. This can be particularly useful for supporting learning outside of the classroom. Smartphones can also be a useful tool for keeping in touch with friends and family, and for staying connected with the world around them.
On the other hand, there are also potential downsides to allowing young children to use smartphones. One concern is that excessive smartphone use can interfere with face-to-face social interactions and relationships, and can lead to social isolation. Another concern is that young children may be exposed to inappropriate content or behavior through the use of smartphones, such as cyberbullying or exposure to explicit material. Additionally, excessive smartphone use has been linked to sleep disturbance and other negative health effects in children.
Overall, it is important for parents to carefully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of allowing their children in this age range to use smartphones, and to establish clear rules and boundaries around smartphone use in order to minimize the potential risks and ensure that their children are using smartphones in a safe and responsible way.
Providing a more specific request did seem to generate a more robust response, however, this answer was still full of broad generalizations and lacked some of the depth and substance I expect in online essays.
My last question to ChatGPT was based on a parenting trend to avoid giving children access to their own smartphones until they are at least in the eighth grade. Hoping to get some data I asked:
What research supports waiting until children are in eighth grade to give them smartphones?
ChatGPT generated this response:
There is no specific research that supports the idea of waiting until children are in eighth grade to give them smartphones. However, there is research on the potential negative effects of excessive smartphone use in children, which suggests that it may be beneficial for parents to carefully consider the age at which they allow their children to start using smartphones.
One study published in the journal Pediatrics found that excessive smartphone use in adolescents was associated with increased risk of depression and suicide. Another study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that excessive screen time, including time spent on smartphones, was associated with a higher risk of obesity in children.
These and other studies suggest that it may be beneficial for parents to carefully monitor their children’s smartphone use and to establish clear rules and boundaries around smartphone use in order to minimize the potential negative effects. It is ultimately up to individual parents to decide at what age they believe it is appropriate to give their children smartphones, but taking into account the potential risks and benefits of smartphone use in children can help inform this decision.
There is no definitive answer to this question, as the age at which it is appropriate to give a child their own smartphone will vary depending on a number of factors, including the child’s individual maturity level and their ability to use a smartphone responsibly.
In general, it may be best to wait until a child is at least in their teenage years before giving them their own smartphone. This is because teenagers are typically better able to understand and follow rules around smartphone use, and are more likely to be able to use a smartphone responsibly without excessive amounts of supervision.
However, it is ultimately up to individual parents to decide at what age they believe it is appropriate to give their child their own smartphone. It may be helpful for parents to carefully consider the potential risks and benefits of smartphone use in children, and to establish clear rules and boundaries around smartphone use in order to minimize the potential negative effects.
Based on this response, I can see that if you want to have sources to back up your claims, you need to be clear with the AI tool and ask for research. I am unsure if I should take the word of an AI bot and just believe there isn’t data to support the idea of waiting until a child is in eighth grade to get them a smartphone. Indeed, I did my own research and found numerous articles on why many experts including tech leaders felt kids should be at least 14 to own a smartphone.
Curious to see if changing my wording a bit would yield a different answer, I asked ChatGPT:
What research supports waiting until children are 14 years old to give them smartphones?
ChatGPT generated this response:
There is no specific research that supports the idea of waiting until children are 14 years old to give them smartphones. However, there is research on the potential negative effects of excessive smartphone use in children, which suggests that it may be beneficial for parents to carefully consider the age at which they allow their children to start using smartphones.
One study published in the journal Pediatrics found that excessive smartphone use in adolescents was associated with increased risk of depression and suicide. Another study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that excessive screen time, including time spent on smartphones, was associated with a higher risk of obesity in children.
These and other studies suggest that it may be beneficial for parents to carefully monitor their children’s smartphone use and to establish clear rules and boundaries around smartphone use in order to minimize the potential negative effects. It is ultimately up to individual parents to decide at what age they believe it is appropriate to give their children smartphones, but taking into account the potential risks and benefits of smartphone use in children can help inform this decision.
This response was similar to the previous one and echoed the same points given in answers to my other questions regarding smartphone use. Overall, I found ChatGPT to be a potential springboard for researching topics and formulating ideas for my blog, however, without the personal insights from an individual, actual human author, the content comes off cold and unengaging.
In my blog post on smartphone usage amongst children, I provide context in the form of examples involving my own child. I share how I was caught in a situation where my son had no means of reaching me, and how he has no interest in social media. These specific points enabled me to build a post around the idea that I am an actual parent with genuine concerns.
However, in that same post, I reference outside sources readers can turn to for guiding them on when to get a smartphone for their child. Finding these sources took time that could otherwise had been spent on producing other content or improving existing content. In addition, for those like me who may not be experts in SEO, AI content tools that are designed to maximize SEO can be helpful. And, while I wouldn’t suggest relying on ChatGPT for producing the equivalent of a well-researched academic paper, knowing I can just type a question or request into a chat box and get a thorough response in less than a minute, has enormous potential for improving my productivity.
Utilizing my own brand of writing and the assistance of ChatGPT, an updated version of my post: “Does my fifth grader need a smartphone,” might read something like this. (AI in italics).
My oldest will soon be 10 years old, and, with each year, he is becoming one of fewer and fewer kids his age with their own phone. He has known children with smartphones since he was in Kindergarten, and has expressed interest in one ever since.
Before he was nine, I wouldn’t even address the question of getting him a phone. I believe (and still do), he had no valid reason for having one, and trusted that he was always with a reliable individual (whether a teacher, relative or activity leader), who had access to a phone and my information should he ever be in trouble.
Still, I understand the desire to want to enable our kids to be able to reach us if/when they are in trouble or scared. My son is growing more independent, and if a phone could help ease some of my worries and allow him to do more on his own, it may not be a terrible solution.
This thought occurred to me last month, when my son wanted to march in our town’s Homecoming Parade with the Middle School. When I dropped him off, there was no clear adult in charge (though there were some present), and it was a loud chaotic mess of teens, floats and excitement.
I hesitated and asked my son if he wanted to stay. He said he did, and though I felt concerned about his welfare, I agreed, got back in my car and drove off to meet my husband and our seven-year-old with whom I’d be watching the parade.
I was anxious as I waited along the parade route for my son’s group to pass by. Once they did, I sighed with relief. I knew I was worried more than I needed to be. My son wasn’t alone, and he is not the type to just go off on his on. My husband went off to meet him at the pickup spot, and after my youngest and I finished watching the rest of the parade we were reunited.
Would being able to get a text from my son ensuring he was OK have made me feel better? Probably. Does this mean he now needs a smartphone? Probably not.
Having access to a phone for the purpose of contacting me or my husband is one thing. Having a phone that gives my kid access to gaming, the Internet and social media is another. Each of these areas present potential challenges to the well being of my child.
In my research, I have found there to be advantages and disadvantages to allowing children, particularly between the ages of five and 12, to use smartphones. One potential benefit is that smartphones can provide a convenient and portable way for children to access educational content and tools, such as educational apps and online resources. This can be particularly useful for supporting learning outside of the classroom. Smartphones can also be a useful tool for keeping in touch with friends and family, and for staying connected with the world around them.
On the other hand, there are also potential downsides to allowing young children to use smartphones. One concern is that excessive smartphone use can interfere with face-to-face social interactions and relationships, and can lead to social isolation. Another concern is that young children may be exposed to inappropriate content or behavior through the use of smartphones, such as cyberbullying or exposure to explicit material. Additionally, excessive smartphone use has been linked to sleep disturbance and other negative health effects in children.
I won’t repost an entire blog post, but you get the idea.
As a blogger, I can see how AI might help me produce content that is engaging and informative, and I think this functionality has a place in the creative world. However, I wouldn’t sound the alarms just yet about it replacing human writers all together. At this point, I’d say a tool like ChatGPT is more like GPS, sure, it will guide you to your destination, but, ultimately, you are the driver, and you control how and when you get there.
If you want to try ChatGPT, you can do so here.