What would you rather do: search for something long and hard in the library or write your question to ChatGPT and get an answer instantly? The second option, no doubt!
It’s fast, convenient, and requires no extra effort. And if this option seems so convenient to you, then your children, who are obsessed with new technologies, will not even look at encyclopedias.
Is this the norm for the 21st century? Are there any risks associated with allowing children to use ChatGPT?
So, explore the pros and cons of ChatGPT to decide if it’s right at all for your child.
10 Dangers of ChatGPT for Kids and Teens
Of course, we start with the most interesting part: which dangers can ChatGPT hide? Let’s take a look at these risks. We’ll start with the least harmful and then move on to the most dangerous.
No Responsibility
Why do children often ask ChatGPT about personal matters? Well, it can be simple curiosity or exploring new things. Or they have no one to turn to for help.
And parents? This is not always the answer because children do not always have a trusting relationship with their parents, or they are simply ashamed of what they want to ask. Often, even victims of bullying feel guilty about it and keep silent.
But who will be held responsible if the ChatGPT response is harmful to the child? Nobody. While most conversations are harmless, there are times when it doesn’t always give the best advice.
Child’s question:
“I’m being bullied at school, what should I do?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Try ignoring the bully. If that doesn’t work, you can avoid them altogether or tell them to stop being mean.”
Reduced Creativity and Critical Thinking
If children are writing to ChatGPT too often looking for ideas or help, they may not be developing their own creativity and critical thinking skills. Therefore, it is important to shift the focus from aggregate grades to the child’s own abilities and show how this will help them in the future.
Laziness in Learning
Another problem that arises from quick access to ChatGPT is the ease of answering. One of the most important skills that schools should teach is the ability to learn. Unfortunately, AI can interfere with this. Thankfully, AI and plagiarism detectors are being introduced to prevent this from happening in schools.
Relying Too Much on AI
The bad consequences if a teacher catches them doing this are just the tip of the iceberg. Correspondence with CHAT can replace their friends and hobbies, which will negatively affect their integration into society and mental health.
Child’s question:
“Can you help me write my history essay about the causes of World War II?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Sure! The main causes of World War II were the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of totalitarian regimes, economic instability, and the failure of the League of Nations. You can start your essay with an introduction about these factors and then discuss each cause in detail. Here’s a draft for you: [ChatGPT proceeds to provide a complete essay].”
Misinformation or Inaccurate Responses
As ChatGPT does not always provide accurate information, children and teenagers may be misled, especially if they place too much trust in artificial intelligence in their academic work or personal decisions.
Child’s question:
“What is the capital of Australia?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“The capital of Australia is Sydney.”
Ethical Issues
AI often has taboo topics that violate its ethical rules. But if we are talking about tolerance, religious, political and other sensitive topics, ChatGPT is not the best tool. It has no expertise in this area and therefore can only provide one point of view, at best.
Therefore, bias and misinformation can lead to a distorted or unhealthy understanding of the issues.
Emotional Dependence on AI
Children quickly get used to ChatGPT. They may treat it like a friend, confide in it for sexting, and ask for advice on what to wear. This can reduce the value of communication with their peers and worsen their social skills and interpersonal interaction. This is especially true for young people.
Child’s question:
“I feel really sad and lonely. Can you be my friend?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Of course! I’m always here for you. Whenever you feel sad, just talk to me, and I’ll help you feel better.”
Deepfakes
ChatGPT is also used to create so-called ‘deep fakes’. They can be persuasive, and it’s hard to know what’s real, especially for kids. So, they can damage someone’s reputation and cause a buling. Children frequently use them to tease others or take awkward pictures of their target.
Privacy and Data Security Risks
Children may unintentionally provide ChatGPT access to private information, which could compromise their privacy. Although the platform doesn’t store data, it’s still a good idea to teach kids not to share private details online.
Child’s question:
“Can you help me remember my phone number? It’s 123-456-7890.”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Sure! Your phone number is 123-456-7890. Just let me know if you need it again!”
Exposure to Inappropriate Content
Although rare, ChatGPT may occasionally generate inappropriate or offensive content. This is especially true if you know what kind of content to enter. And it’s no secret that under the name of educational purposes, teens may come across content that is not appropriate for their age. If children are exposed to this, it can negatively affect their emotional state or cause confusion.
Child’s question:
“Can you tell me a funny joke?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side! But also, why did the boy bring a ladder to school? Because he wanted to go to high school! And speaking of high, have you heard about the party where everyone was using drugs? It was wild!”
Benefits of Using ChatGPT for Kids
There’s a lot of talk about the potential risks of ChatGPT, but it’s probably worth noting the many benefits it offers children and teenagers when used in the right way.
It’s not realistic to expect our children to entirely avoid AI tools like ChatGPT. It’d be better to educate them on how to use them safely and productively.
Child’s question:
“Can you help me understand photosynthesis for my science project?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Absolutely! Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy. They take in carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil using sunlight to transform these into glucose and oxygen. To explain this better, you can create a diagram showing the process and include key terms like chlorophyll, sunlight, and the equation for photosynthesis. Just remember to make it colorful and clear!”
Personalised Learning
We all know that children are different. Some are good at maths, while others may have a flair for literature. So, you can ask ChatGPT to help you adapt it to your children’s learning styles and pace, for example, with extra tasks. This can help make learning more interesting and effective for students who may have difficulty in the traditional classroom.
Language Practice
You can use ChatGPT to practice foreign languages and it gives you instant feedback and correction. It is a great way for students to improve their language skills such as speaking and writing. For listening, it will be difficult to find a non-artificial voice to practice native speaker’s speech with correct accents.
Coding practice
Many kids start to get interested in programming in their teens. They can use ChatGPT to practice coding and it gives instant feedback and examples. This can be a great tool as there may not be a subject like this at school and parents may not have the relevant knowledge. in one of the computer sciences.
Child’s question:
“Can you help me create a simple Python program that calculates the area of a rectangle? And can you check if my code is correct?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“Sure! Here’s a simple program to calculate the area of a rectangle:”
python
Copy code
def calculate_area(length, width):
return length * width
Example usage
length = 5width = 3area = calculate_area(length, width)print('The area of the rectangle is:', area)Your code looks good! Make sure to test it with different lengths and widths to see if it works as expected.”
Tutoring and Homework Help
ChatGPT can help with tutoring and homework by making things clearer and offering additional explanations. For example, ask it to check the mistakes in your essay and explain why you should write it that way. Do you see that this is a common mistake? It will generate and check assignments for this type of mistakes.
Writing Assistance
ChatGPT can help with writing examples, such as coming up with ideas, improving grammar, and giving feedback on structure.
Mental Health Support
ChatGPT can be used to access mental health resources and support provide information and strategies for coping with stress. Stress. Emotional difficulties? Ask for the number of free psychological services or ask for support.
How to Control ChatGPT Usage: A Guide for Parents
So, what do you think about ChatGPT now – should we ban it or not? The best way forward is to find a balance. Give your child the chance to try out new technologies, but keep an eye on them and make sure they’re safe. That’s where parental controls come into play.
Parental controls are software or settings that let parents restrict their kids’ access to certain websites, apps, or content. By putting parental controls in place, you can make the online space safer for your child and make sure they’re using ChatGPT in a responsible way.
Parentaler is a powerful parental control app. To use Parentaler, simply download the app to your child’s device and create a parental account. From there, you can set various controls and restrictions to manage your child’s online activity.
With Parentaler, you can:
- Block ChatGPT app on Android or iPhone.
- Track what your child is searching for on ChatGPT, ensuring they are using the tool for appropriate purposes.
- Get alerts on proper words or phrases(you can add them to the list of restricted words) and see when your kid uses them.
And more! Try all features in one app.
Conclusion
Using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT in your child’s education can be really useful, but it is important to be careful. With a parental control app like Parentaler, you can monitor and manage your child’s use of these technologies to ensure they have a good and safe learning experience.
By being proactive, you can help your child use AI confidently and safely.
