By Tabitha Bozeman
In American Literature, I have the immense pleasure of teaching many writers’ stories that have withstood the test of time to become what my children and many of my students might refer to with dread in their voices as “classics.” I have tried to explain that this designation is not a harbinger of tediousness or boring sludge to wade through, but rather an indication that the plotlines, characters, and themes are still engaging to modern readers, but I don’t think they believe me. In my attempts to interest them, I have pared many writers down to their shortest stories, offered excerpts of seminal parts, provided audio recordings, and more, all while bemoaning the reluctance and oftentimes outright refusal of many to even attempt to read.
In our home, we have worked really diligently to make sure our children not only have access to and guidance for navigating the online world of social media and games and virtual worlds. But, we have also made sure to provide books and stories they will enjoy and love reading to balance out the immediate gratification of the online world. It is exhausting. It is the mental version of enticing children to eat their vegetables or play outside. And, it is never-ending. Humans tend, like water flowing to the lowest point, to drift toward the lowest, easiest, most immediately entertaining option available. I love a side-splittingly hilarious tiktok video as much as the next person, and catch myself scrolling through friends’ updates on Facebook and Instagram. I noticed, though, that I was missing out on my original favorite pastime: reading. I felt like I just did not have time to read, and was constantly bouncing from scrolling one app to another, and one day when I heard myself complaining about others not reading assignments I realized that I had no leg to stand on if I weren’t willing to make time to read in my own schedule. So I have. It has required me to pay attention to the cracks and holes in my own attention span, identify causes, and take steps to plug and repair the damage, but it has paid off incredibly well. I have read more books in the past six months than I probably have in the last 5 years, and my brain has experienced a flood of stress-relieving endorphins akin to the relaxing post-treadmill float of a workout session.
This summer, we are getting help encouraging our girls to read from local library summer reading program incentives, and we also have them research and identify books they want to read, then make sure to order used copies so they have what they will actually be excited to read. I am also not above bribery. You want to get your nails done? Read a book or two and we will talk. You want a game on your phone? Read. You want to skip a certain chore for a week? You guessed it: if they read, we can negotiate. But, proving that reading means I also have to be willing to sit through lengthy plot debriefs, listening to character drama as if I actually know who these “people” are in real life. It’s a commitment, but it is worth it.
As I was writing this column, a colleague texted a link to an article that underscored the importance of this commitment I have made. The TIME article, “ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study,” explained the findings from MIT that used EEG to measure brain waves of participants. The group of 18-39 year olds were divided into three groups, and 32 brain regions were measured as they wrote several essays during the study which spanned several months. One group wrote with zero AI or digital tools, one group was allowed to use good ole Google Search only, and the third group was allowed to use ChatGPT. The results are far from surprising from any of us teaching college-level thinking: those who used ChatGPT showed the lowest levels of brain activity across the board, while those who used nothing but their own brains showed the highest levels of neural connectivity, indicating positive outcomes for memory, creative thinking, and processing. Basically, the study proves that using AI to complete homework is harming rather than helping when it comes to actual learning. This indicates potentially far-reaching consequences in critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving when today’s students enter the workforce. On a simplistic level, consider whether or not you want doctors and nurses who lack problem-solving and critical thinking skills identifying your health problems and treatment options. Or, attorneys and financial planners who cannot analyze potential future hazards and argue effectively for positive outcomes or provide advice you can depend on.
Are social media, AI, and LLMs going anywhere? No, they are here to stay and they do have constructive applications in our world. It is now up to all of us, though, collectively and individually, to make sure we are paying attention and helping the next generation learn how to think and analyze and problem-solve on their own so they can use these tools in positive ways. Remind yourself and others that even 15 minutes of reading a good story floods your brain with stress-relieving chemicals, encourages creative thinking, and promotes problem-solving. Help your kids enjoy reading. One easy way to do this? Encourage and make time for your own reading. Make it fun. Make it exciting. Reward and incentivize it. Break out the personal pan pizzas of the Book-It era. Sign up for local library programs. Let others see you reading books, physical copies of The Messenger, or graphic novels. Carry a book in your bag. Put your phone down at the same time each day and spend fifteen minutes reading from a physical book or magazine. Walk through a bookstore and take time to appreciate the colors and art lining the shelves. Above all, for the love of all things human, don’t be so willing to abdicate your ow humanity to AI.
