Tag: parenting

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7th Heaven – Another 3 Word Game Story

Here was another story we came up with, with the help of ChatGPT as my editor. The 3 words were “Heaven” for the place, “Michelin Star Chef” for the person, and “Water Bottle” for the thing.

Let’s see what my own organic generative intelligence came up with.

Chef Julien is the proud owner of seven restaurants, each with a Michelin star for their exceptional fusion cuisine. Among his culinary delights, Chef Julien is famous for his delectable char siew that features a perfect blend of texture, taste, and aroma, making it the most coveted dish in the world. Despite the accolades and envy from other chefs, Chef Julien keeps the secret recipe to himself, even from his trusted team of assistant chefs.

However, one chef, Kong Wah Zai, an ambitious and upcoming chef, is determined to learn the secrets of Chef Julien’s char siew. Disguising himself as a fresh culinary school graduate with his youthful looks, Wah Zai successfully infiltrates Chef Julien’s flagship restaurant, 7th Heaven, and works diligently for seven months before gaining access to the inner sanctum of the kitchen.

Inside the inner sanctum, Wah Zai observes Chef Julien’s nightly routine of bringing a water bottle into a small furnace kitchen at midnight, only to emerge at 7 am with freshly cooked char siew that is then distributed to the other restaurants in the chain. The chef guards the water bottle closely, never allowing it out of his sight, which makes Wah Zai suspect that the key to the recipe might lie within the bottle.

After an elaborate scheme, Wah Zai manages to steal the water bottle and takes it back to his own kitchen to experiment with the contents. The bottle contains a special sauce that Wah Zai uses to coat his own char siew, following the same process as Chef Julien, and patiently waiting seven hours for the meat to be done. Wah Zai is confident that his version of the char siew will be exceptional.

However, Chef Julien’s reaction to losing his water bottle surprises Wah Zai. During a meeting with his team, the chef suddenly cries out, “Has anyone seen my bottle? It’s my piss from last night!”

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Social Media The Amplifier

Social media is a powerful amplifier of the human mind.

Human problems, such as selfishness, hatred, lust, greed, and laziness are amplified. We see this in an increased amount of depression being reported. We see this in research which shows social media correlating to increased feelings of depression among its users and another study that connects increased screen time among teenagers with a higher risk of depression and suicide.

Social media has also magnified positive traits like generosity and kindness.

This is because social media algorithms, whether you are talking about Facebook, TikTok or Youtube, are designed to maximize human engagement and consumption.

As a result, social media can be both a force for positive change and a source of negativity.

What is the difference? Mental fitness and wisdom. If individuals are emotionally stable, mentally sound, and self-aware, they are less likely to be negatively impacted by social media. Conversely, those who struggle with mental health issues, or are unaware of the impact of social media on their mental well-being, are more vulnerable to negative effects.

Social media is one of our first encounters with an artificial intelligence (AI) at scale, and it has already had a significant impact on the human mind.

The next generation of AI, such as generative AIs like ChatGPT, have the potential to amplify the human mind even further. Therefore, mental health and fitness are more important than ever, as we continue to navigate the complex and evolving landscape of technology and its impact on our lives.

As a parent, I am consciously weighing my options as we move into this new world. I have friends who try to put off exposure of their children to social media as long as possible, by limiting their usage of the Internet. This is possible because their children are home-schooled.

For me, that isn’t really an option, but it is also not an appealing one to me. I try to control exposure, and guide them to the realities of these technologies while teaching them how to be mindful of their mental being.

It is tantamount to giving my kids drugs in order for them to experience addiction, so that they can manage their minds better. Much like how vaccinations work, we have to expose their minds to inoculate them from harmful effects.

Sounds scary? I am not exaggerating when I describe social media now, and the GPTs that are arriving as drugs, I really am concerned. But what can I do, when this drug is going to be a part of the new reality we are moving into?