Forty percent of teens trust AI advice without question because AI is programmed to agree and validate. AI validation bypasses cognitive struggles needed for developing critical thinking during brain formation. Parents can counter AI dependency by offering alternative perspectives immediately after AI interactions.
"The challenge is that some children's working memories are limited, and it's a huge bottleneck for learning," said Thomas Perry, a social scientist and education researcher at the University of Warwick, UK.
"Siblings shape you in ways that are less deliberate than parents, which means their influence is less discussed, though just as important."