Today, I got to connect with a teenager. Our conversation left me completely curious about the way the current generation is thinking…
We were waiting for our families at the grocery store and started conversing, completely oblivious of passers by …
This teenager had a varied skillset and was curious about computer programming. I would say he was good at programming, but according to him, he was still trying to figure it out.
Our topics went from favorite foods, hobbies and he opened up about one of the interesting projects he had worked briefly. He expressed frustration in the way AI is not helpful to teenagers, as when he fails at something, it suggests a long winded response and not a one-line response to help him bounce back.
Ok wait.
What did he say?
He is a teenager.
He is failing at something.
He feels he is a failure.
He does not ask a human.
He asks AI.
He does not want a long response.
He is expecting a one-line response to help him bounce back.
What is he talking about?
For a second, my whole life indexed in my mind, and I had to question myself. Am I the one not understanding the pace at which solutions are being expected of AI, leave alone the age of AI and what or how we can put it to use. Was it illogical to expect this, or was it how the expectations are shaping up for the next generation. What happens to parents, psychologists, sensitivity of the issue, background information that was needed to respond?
While my mind raced, I blankly stared at him.
And asked, if someone in your friend group came and said the same thing, what one-liner would you have responded, that would help them bounce back?
Without skipping a beat, he said
It happens. Life sucks. Try harder & do better tomorrow.
I smiled.
Yes. That was it. These are teenagers. Sometimes, that is all it takes for some of them to hear from a friend to bounce back.
This conversation would always remind me that age is a factor that needs to be considered when it comes to technology access and ease of use.