The AI Intersection With Youth Mental Health

By Catherine Patterson-Sterling, PhD, RCC

An AI Assistant or even generative artificial intelligence is there to support you by offering ideas, validating your hard work and courage, giving you starting points for your paper or even writing it for you, as well as providing comforting support in the early hours when no one else is available. In fact, AI helps you to be the best version of yourself that you can present to the world with quick accessibility at your finger tips. No need for voicemails, waiting for return messages, battling hours of mental writing blocks, or matching of schedules with people who can help in the busyness of life.

Now provide that AI (artificial intelligence) to the masses as part of the fulfillment of the “Presidential AI Challenge” as delivered by Melania Trump with attached funding dollars towards innovation in education.

This is both a dynamic and challenging time in history, but with proper mental health considerations, scaffolding can be in place to create an unprecedented trajectory of change and accelerated development the world has never witnessed.

Integrating AI Into Classrooms

AI is not the fearful pariah that is taking over teacher’s jobs, making children lazy, or serving as a replacement for humans. Instead, we have an opportunity to view AI as a reflective mirror that has the opportunity to intake information, link that information to coded information as well as extensions of thought/ideas already established in the world which then is reflected back within microseconds back to individuals in full form for optimal growth. With machine learning abilities, that web of information reflected back by AI is iterative by receiving new input as it extends, deepens, and reflects back information with greater dimension over time.

The challenge with Human Oversight (HO), is that the nuance of human understanding means that there is an ability to position that information in ways that are socially helpful, advantageous personally, and towards better results. AI is not nuanced, and is instead, generative in it’s capacities.

As such, generative AI then can serve as an extension of learning particularly if educators have clear boundaries around AI being a tool. With “AI Transparency Mapping”, learners share the points of interaction with AI particularly in the generative phases of brainstorming around ideas or even entering their existing writing for feedback. Then learners are able to build out ideas or writing with their own critical thinking, once AI has laid a brainstorming foundation.

Also, adaptive AI can be used in tandem with learning for when students are away, want to test their knowledge, and engage in extension activities particularly when information or pre-made quizzes with automatic answering keys are loaded on to a learning platform that synchronizes with course content.

Finally, AI can be helpful for career planning as students explore HI (Human Interface) jobs that will require specialized talent for overseeing AI innovative technology as they bring nuanced human-led approaches necessary for progress.

AI and Youth Mental Health

With every innovation there is an interface between user experience, wellness, and mental health particularly with technologies that have accelerative power to use up space, energy, or time.

In the effort to be transparent, let’s explore how AI can interface with youth mental health in ways that are challenging-

For example, youth can develop screen time overload and overreliance particularly as the human brain enjoys the dopamine rush that comes from technology. With inbuilt algorithms, AI powered platforms encourage excessive use, provide intermittent reinforcement cycles by activating brain reward pathways with alerts, pings, and building of user stats with likes and follows on social media platforms. Even when users’ human brains rest, algorithms share new content and woo users back into the dopamine saturated fields of technology with more opportunities to engage in information rabbit holes, stimulation, or more reward cycles.

When a person is lonely, tired, bored, exhausted, or discomforted in any way, AI is there with a symbiotic technical hug to give advice, offer more information, engage in distractions, or power the dopamine loop in another technological distraction adventure.

Over time, people’s minds can become dependent on the technological assistant, who with robust powers, can show up to do more for them than they can do for themselves. The line between the physical and digital can be blurred and people’s skills may be dulled as well as physical communities become fragmented while people descend into their digital silos superficially connected to a digital world which can be frustrating and then paused or even turned off immediately with the click of a button.

Without self-examination, critical thought, tools for managing technology, and scaffolding of physical community supports, youth with unformed identities can absorb into artificial intelligence with full saturation into screen time overload, and without direction, critical thinking, identity, or influence of the algorithms guide them within the walls of digital echo chambers.

Mental health is compromised and self-identity is lost in entire generations of youth UNLESS they are able to have tools for stepping into as well as out of technology.

In any adventure, people need a compass, map, and navigational gear so that they have human oversight (HO) and do not get lost in the woods.

Youth must be in the digital world but not of it or lost in the trappings.

As the Presidential AI Challenge accelerates with AI development in education, youth can enter into one of the most exciting times in history in terms of development and change the world has ever witnessed while having their identities, critical thinking, compass, and navigational gear along the way in order to preserve their mental health as well as maintain HO (human oversight).

An Important Resource

Now there is an innovative way to help set students up for success by equipping them with essential soft skills that not only support their academic growth but also prepare them for life beyond the classroom and for navigating the digital age revolution. These skills include learning how to fully engage in their studies with focus and persistence, building resiliency to bounce back from setbacks, and developing the confidence to lean into challenges rather than shy away from them while also understanding how to navigate the physical as well emotional worlds of life and technology. Students will also strengthen their abilities to manage screen time and digital overload in healthy, balanced ways, while practicing future-oriented planning that encourages goal-setting, decision-making, and self-advocacy.

Schools can teach youth the skills they need through 3 innovative programs which can be seamlessly integrated into social and emotional learning within existing lessons.  

Also, schools have the opportunity to implement a school-wide citizenship points program which helps to strengthen school culture and community as a foundation for then creating another layer of technological advancement with AI integration.

In every advancement, technology must be guided by a human compass—ensuring progress serves people first, equipping youth to thrive in the digital age, and safeguarding youth mental health along the way!

About The Writer:

Catherine Patterson-Sterling, PhD, RCC is an educator of 25+ years with diverse experience in all levels of elementary, high school, and post secondary education as a teacher, counsellor, and clinical supervisor. With extensive experience in research and counselling, she understands the impact as well as sources of disengagement as well as chronic absenteeism on learners at all levels. She is also the creator of the new innovative programs "Screen Time School", "Success Not Stress School" (a new positive mental health program) "Future Planning School", and “Twenty” sponsored by Soft Skills Training Center and Patterson-Sterling Consulting and Counselling Services.