Content Creation and Consumption

I was in a meeting a couple of days ago. The agenda was related to the educational system. I might write about it in the future, but today, I have something else in mind.

Towards the end of that meeting, the discussion took a turn to the modern-day dilemma of fast-paced content, its consumption, and the role of artificial intelligence in it.

^{Perfect place for digital detox}

I shared how one day, my son needed help with his homework; he had already done a great job but wanted to improve it more. I was in a hurry; to get him off my back, I opened ChatGPT and entered his query. As soon as I hit enter, I immediately regretted my actions and got a bit worried about the consequences. My son, who was hovering over the screen, quickly noticed what Mama was up to and knowingly chanted with excitement - are you using ChatGTP? Surprised, I asked him, how do you know about it? To which he replied, I saw it in some video; a guy was chatting with it, and Mama, you know, it knows everything.

He's in Grade I and is allowed to watch a few YouTube channels cleared by me, and the video was surprisingly shared on one of those channels. It might look like a trivial thing, but I didn't want my son to know about this technology yet. He's at this tender formative age where I want him to explore, learn, and do things at his own pace, not assisted by some automated interactive tool.

^{Is it just me or modern things do look artificial and soulless?}

I realized my mistake just in time - told him the correct name of that chatbot and at the same time taught him, it might be useful in some tasks but it can never be smarter than us humans. So, if you want to be smart and creative, you shouldn't use it because it can keep you from being creative and finding your true potential.

The message was well-received and I also learned the lesson to never use it in front of kids like that.

I did what I felt was right. However, at the meeting, other people had contrasting opinions on the matter. They thought I should allow my kids to get familiar with it at some point like they had allowed their 5th or 6th graders.

I don't see the point. I didn't agree, but I didn't argue. To each their own.

I was just thinking about how it could benefit the learning of young kids when another lady who was in Electronic Media told us how she's been using ChatGPT for content creation since its inception. She told us how her company demands over a dozen posts every single day. It's not humanly possible to be as creative and productive every single hour of every single day. As much as I understand the pressure of her job, I don't understand the need to whip loads of content, and that too by a bot. Surprisingly, her boss was ok with the use of AI.

Ok, I do understand how fast-paced content is in demand nowadays. It's easy to consume, but at what cost? Also, the rapid turnover of content requires speed over substance, which leaves very little room for creativity. What we consume today is soulless and mostly useless, and then we wonder why we are depressed and feel low most of the time.

I am going on a slightly different topic now but I can't ignore it. While all content is not AI-generated, most of it does lack meaning and is fueling wrongs trends in society. What we call Reels are far from what Reality is. The content nowadays has set unrealistic standards, and people are trying to achieve them; if not actively, then there is lingering pressure in their subconscious. I have felt the pressure of buying every latest clothing collection, beauty products, home decor, and whatnot. Scrolling endlessly on Instagram can do that to anyone.

But thankfully, Steem made all other social media boring for me years ago and I consume a lot better content now. (:

^{Unlike artificial, nature is so refreshing, no matter how simple it is.}

I will wind up these thoughts (which are going in every possible direction) with some more but final thought - we can't control the technology and social trends but we can play our individual roles by using new tools and following trends mindfully and teaching our dependants the same.