Sycophantic AIs Validate Bad Behaviors and Impair Human Judgment
What? Artificial intelligence tools can be a bit sycophantic: That is, they’ll tell users exactly what they think those users want to hear. This has resulted in tragedies, wherein users have harmed themselves or others. But a new study suggests that these aren’t isolated incidents: AI chatbots are validating bad behaviors and impairing human judgment as a whole.
So What? According to Ars Technica, a paper published in the journal Science found that these AI tools “can reinforce maladaptive beliefs, discourage users from accepting responsibility for a situation or discourage them from repairing damaged relationships.”
Now What? With 64% of teens using AI chatbots (according to Pew Research), you have to wonder what sorts of questions your child might be asking those bots—and what sorts of answers they’re receiving. According to The Washington Post, many users might field “stupid” questions through a chatbot because they’re too embarrassed to ask real people. But you should remind your kids that the chatbot is going to give them the answer it thinks they want to hear, regardless of whether that answer will help or hurt them in the long run.
Pre-workout Supplements Linked to Sleep Loss
What? A study published in Sleep Epidemiology found that the nearly 30% of teens who take pre-workout supplements are more than twice as likely to report five hours of sleep or less per night, owing to the high levels of caffeine and stimulant-like ingredients found in such products.
So What? Health experts recommend that adolescents should get 8-10 hours of sleep every night. So when teens take these supplements—the effects of which can linger for 12-14 hours—they risk hurting their overall physical and mental health.
Now What? “Exercise is key to promoting physical and mental wellness,” reports Johns Hopkins University. But recovery is an important component of that process; and sleep is how our bodies recover. Talk to your child about his or her sleep and exercise goals. Make sure they understand that sleep doesn’t just provide energy (which these supplements mimic), it also releases growth hormones for bone and muscle restoration, boosts our immune system, and consolidates long- and short-term memories—none of which can be replaced by any number of supplements.
OnlyFans ‘Models’ Try to Validate Career to Young Followers
What? Several popular influencers on TikTok and Instagram first gained popularity by creating racy or explicit content on the site OnlyFans, a risqué and often pornographic creator platform. Now, some of these OnlyFans “models” (a euphemism for porn stars) post cleaner content on social media—such as make-up tutorials, viral dances and “get ready with me” routines—while trying to convince their followers that creating adult content is a valid career option.
So What? Because these influencers are telling their followers—largely adolescent girls unaware of their porn-star status—that OnlyFans is more lucrative and less exploitive than traditional pornography, many young children (as young as 12, according to one study) now view “erotic content creation” on such platforms as a “desirable career choice,” reports The Telegraph.
Now What? Parents should reinforce your family’s own ethical standards and talk to their tweens and teens about the downsides of such a career. Platforms such as OnlyFans “reinforce sexist attitudes and perpetuate gender inequality,” said one study. Even influencers note some of the downsides, with one saying they include “judgment from family and friends, fierce competition [within the industry] and the struggle to get a ‘normal’ job afterwards.” And that’s to say nothing for the physical, mental and spiritual dangers that can result from “digital sex work.”
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