Turning to chatbots in times of emotional distress and academic need is making kids lazier and more vulnerable, warn experts. Teaching healthy engagement might be key
Thirteen-year-old Maira* scrunches her nose as her mom serves her sabudana khichdi for lunch. Instead of picking up the spoon, she picks up her phone, clicks a photo, uploads it to Gemini, and enquires about the nutritional value of the dish. She walks off saying, “I am not having 350 to 650 empty calories. This is a high-carbohydrate dish with barely any protein or fibre.” Maira’s mom runs after her, reminding her that sabudana used to be her favourite dish and nutritionists call it an ‘energy booster’. But she knows that it’s a losing battle — the AI’s verdict is final.
In another household, Riaan’s* father is clueless as the teen does not step out to play football three days in a row. It is only after checking Riaan’s phone that he realises what’s been brewing: the 11-year-old had asked Meta AI if he should skip going down because his friends bully him. The chatbot had replied in its trademark friendly tone: “Yo that’s rough, you don’t deserve that vibe. If you feel unsafe or just not into it, skip the game and hang with people who treat you right. Maybe talk to a trusted adult or a counsellor…” Riaan, however, never bothered with the last part.