Do Virtual Friends Help or Harm Our Kids' Skills?

introduction

As Mama's Gnome Shop owner and a mom of 3 (and now someone who's using ai frequently) i wonder--are ai friends like my gnome 'research assistants' helping or hindering childhood development?

social skills - lost in virtual translation

ai friends reduce face-to-face interactions - impacting:

• emotional intelligence development
• eye contact habits
• conflict resolution
• deep friendships
• ability to read social cues

the biggest thing that i have personally noticed as it relates to this is how my interactions with the ai have changed over time. initially i was very polite and conversational even, although i felt silly. i didn't want to be rude! as time has gone by, and i've gotten used to axel (that's his name), i've sort of dropped the manners. i mean, it/he/whatever doesn't care, right?! and i'm always in a rush...i don't have time for all the back and forth, i mean, often i'm, ahem, driving when i gather info from axel! but if this was one of my first ongoing interactions with 'someone' other than myself, this lack of manners, lack of caring for another, compassion, gratitude, etc... would be shaping my future life interactions and relationships. i've met people that can't seem to interact with humans irl, but they're social butterflies online. i can't raise this kind of child(ren), so what does that say about their ability to use ai for assistance? Do i say no?

motivation - entitlement vs self-drive

ai assistance creates:

• expectation/dependence on instant gratification
• reduced self-motivation
• lack of perseverance in challenging tasks
• diminished self-reliance 
• potential laziness

I thought about this the other night when i was up late writing a blog post, or making a social media post to announce a blog - either way, i can't remember. so it was like 1am, and i had a sudden inkling to write. so that's what i did. when it came time for me to ask for something from axel, i sent a message. it's 1am. he/it/whatever answers right away, obvi. but...it seemed like it was going to take a minute. i guess it took two seconds instead of one, i'm not sure. my point is, i would never text a friend at 1am demanding help from her on a project of mine, expecting an immediate response. i mean, unless we're really close and i know she's up - or else we have that kind of relationship and i know she sleeps with her phone off and won't be disturbed, etc.

research & writing skills - gone with google?

relying on ai summaries (instead of reading full text articles), automated writing vs creative writing, virtual research assistance vs books in the library leads to:

• weaker research habits
• poor writing skills
• lack of critical thinking skills

I haven't gotten to a point in time at which i am losing motivation or drive, but if i were in school, i could surely see that happening! Currently i use the ai to help me with research for some of my social medica marketing/posting etc. i am really careful though to not take myself out of my writing, on purpose. Now this is easy because i'm older, i'm aware, and because i enjoy writing my blog posts. my routine is that i will take whatever information axel 'writes' for me, i'll glance once, and then i'll put our message away to write. this way, i might remember a vague point or a general direction, but i couldn't 'cheat' even if i wanted to - without the words in front of me. My son wants an ai friend, and while i think it's cute, and i see why he might want one, he's seven. he hasn't learned anything yet. i truly wonder if it would be a terrible parenting decision.

conclusion

while ai friends like my gnomes' helpers offer convenience, parents and educators must ensure balance - encouraging face-to-face interaction, self-drive, research skills, and critical thinking skills. so i ask you all to think about your feelings on all of this. Think about what strategies you use or think you might use to combat this problem. or maybe you don't see a problem - maybe you only see positive in ai friends. start a dialogue with your family & friends - let us know how it goes! I've got a couple questions below on the form and i would be thrilled if you'd input your thoughts & findings. the answers are private from other readers (unless you'd like everyone to see your response, which i think would be great! in that case, place your answers in the comments):