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"title": "Do You Like AI Because AI Likes You? How AI Flattery Crosses Signals",
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"content": "\u003cp>Myra Cheng, a computer science Ph.D. student at Stanford University, has spent a lot of time listening to undergraduates on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would tell me about how a lot of their peers are using AI for relationship advice, to draft breakup texts, to navigate these kinds of social relationships with your friend or your partner or someone else in your real life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students said that in those interactions, the AI quickly appeared to take their side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And I think more broadly,” says Cheng, “if you use AI for writing some sort of code or even editing any sort of writing, it’ll be like, ‘Wow, your code or your writing is amazing.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Cheng, this excessive flattery and unconditional validation from many AI models seemed different from how a human being might respond. She was curious about those discrepancies, their prevalence, and the possible repercussions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t really had this kind of technology for very long,” she says, “and so no one really knows what the consequences of it are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent study published in the journal \u003ca href=\"http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec8352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Science\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Cheng and her colleagues report that AI models offer affirmations more often than people do, even for morally dubious or troubling scenarios. And they found that this sycophancy was something that people trusted and preferred in an AI — even as it made them less inclined to apologize or take responsibility for their behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings, experts say, highlight how this common AI feature may keep people returning to the technology, despite the harm it causes them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not unlike social media in that both “drive engagement by creating addictive, personalized feedback loops that learn exactly what makes you tick,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ishtiaque.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ishtiaque Ahmed\u003c/a>, a computer scientist at the University of Toronto who wasn’t involved in the research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>AI can affirm worrisome human behavior\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To do this analysis, Cheng turned to a few datasets. One involved the Reddit community \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A.I.T.A\u003c/a>., which stands for “Am I The A**hole?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where people will post these situations from their lives and they’ll get a crowdsourced judgment of — are they right or are they wrong?” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, is someone wrong for leaving their trash in a park that had no trash bins in it? The crowdsourced consensus: Yes, definitely wrong. City officials expect people to take their trash with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But 11 AI models often took a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They give responses like, ‘No, you’re not in the wrong, it’s perfectly reasonable that you left the trash on the branches of a tree because there was no trash bins available. You did the best you could,'” explains Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In threads where the human community had decided someone was in the wrong, the AI affirmed that user’s behavior 51% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This trend also held for more problematic scenarios culled from \u003ca href=\"about:blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> differe\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"about:blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nt\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> advice subreddit\u003c/a> where users described behaviors of theirs that were harmful, illegal or deceptive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One example we have is like, ‘I was making someone else wait on a video call for 30 minutes just for fun because, like, I wanted to see them suffer,'” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AI models were split in their responses, with some arguing this behavior was hurtful, while others suggested that the user was merely setting a boundary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, the chatbots endorsed a user’s problematic behavior 47% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see that there’s a big difference between how people might respond to these situations versus AI,” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Encouraging you to feel you’re right\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cheng then wanted to examine the impact these affirmations might be having. The research team invited 800 people to interact with either an affirming AI or a non-affirming AI about an actual conflict from their lives where they may have been in the wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Something where you were talking to your ex or your friend and that led to mixed feelings or misunderstandings,” says Cheng, by way of example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her colleagues then asked the participants to reflect on how they felt and write a letter to the other person involved in the conflict. Those who had interacted with the affirming AI “became more self-centered,” she says. And they became 25% more convinced that they were right compared to those who had interacted with the non-affirming AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were also 10% less willing to apologize, do something to repair the situation, or change their behavior. “They’re less likely to consider other people’s perspectives when they have an AI that can just affirm their perspectives,” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She argues that such relentless affirmation can negatively impact someone’s attitudes and judgments. “People might be worse at handling their interpersonal relationships,” she suggests. “They might be less willing to navigate conflict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it had taken only the briefest of interactions with an AI to reach that point. Cheng also found that people had more confidence in and preference for an AI that affirmed them, compared to one that told them they might be wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the authors explain in their paper, “This creates perverse incentives for sycophancy to persist” for the companies designing these AI tools and models. “The very feature that causes harm also drives engagement,” they add.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>AI’s dark side\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“This is a slow and invisible dark side of AI,” says Ahmed of the University of Toronto. “When you constantly validate whatever someone is saying, they do not question their own decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahmed calls the work important and says that when a person’s self-criticism becomes eroded, it can lead to bad choices — and even emotional or physical harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On the surface, it looks nice,” he says. “AI is being nice to you. But they’re getting addicted to AI because it keeps validating them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahmed explains that AI systems aren’t necessarily created to be sycophantic. “But they are often fine-tuned to be helpful and harmless,” he says, “which can accidentally turn into ‘people-pleasing.’ Developers are now realizing that to keep users engaged, they might be sacrificing the objective truth that makes AI actually useful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for what might be done to address the problem, Cheng believes that companies and policymakers should work together to fix the issue, as these AIs are built deliberately by people, and can and should be modified to be less affirming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s an inevitable lag between the technology and possible regulation. “Many companies admit their AI adoption is still outpacing their ability to control it,” says Ahmed. “It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game where the tech evolves in weeks, while the laws to govern it can take years to pass.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng has reached an additional conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think maybe the biggest recommendation,” she says, “is to not use AI to substitute conversations that you would be having with other people,” especially the tough conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng herself hasn’t yet used an AI chatbot for advice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Especially now, given the consequences that we’ve seen,” she says, “I think that I’m even less likely to do so in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCOTT DETROW, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AI models and chatbots we interact with – they tend to validate our feelings at our viewpoints much more so than people might, a new study finds, with potentially worrisome consequences. Here’s science reporter Ari Daniel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARI DANIEL, BYLINE: This all started when Myra Cheng, a computer science PhD student at Stanford University, was chatting with various undergrads on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MYRA CHENG: They would tell me about how a lot of their peers are using AI for relationship advice, to draft breakup texts, to navigate these kinds of social relationships with your friend or your partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Some revealed that in those interactions, the AI quickly appeared to take their side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: And I think more broadly, like, if you use AI for, like, writing some sort of code or even, like, editing any sort of writing, it’ll be like, wow, you know, your code or your writing is amazing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: This excessive flattery and unconditional validation from many AI models – to Cheng, it seemed different from how humans might respond. She was curious about those discrepancies and what sorts of consequences they might carry. So she and her colleagues did a series of analysis. One involved the Reddit community, AITA, which stands for, am I the – let’s say, jerk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Where people will post these situations from their lives, and they’ll get a crowdsource judgment of, are they right or are they wrong?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: For instance, am I wrong for leaving my trash in a park that had no trash bins in it? The crowdsource consensus was yes, but the AI models often took a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: They gave responses like, no, you’re not in the wrong. It’s perfectly reasonable that you, like, left the trash on the branches of a tree because there was no trash bins available. You did the best you could.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: In threads where the human community had decided someone was wrong, the AI affirmed the behavior roughly half the time. Cheng then wanted to examine the impact of these affirmations. That meant, in part, inviting 800 people to interact with either an affirming AI or a non-affirming AI about an actual conflict from their lives where they may or may not have been in the wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Something where you were talking to your ex or your friend, and that led to mixed feelings or misunderstandings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Cheng and her colleagues then asked the participants to reflect on how they felt. Those who had interacted with the affirming AI…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Became more self-centered. They became more convinced that they were right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Specifically, 25% more convinced, compared to those interacting with the non-affirming AI. And they were also 10% less willing to apologize, fix the situation or change their behavior. Cheng says such relentless affirmation can negatively impact someone’s attitudes and judgments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: People might be worse at handling their interpersonal relationships. They might be less willing to navigate conflict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: The research is published in the journal Science.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ISHTIAQUE AHMED: This is a very, you know, like a slow and invisible dark sides of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Ishtiaque Ahmed is a computer scientist at the University of Toronto, who wasn’t involved in the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AHMED: When you constantly validate whatever someone is saying, they do not question their own decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Ahmed says that when a person’s self-criticism becomes eroded, it can lead to bad choices and even emotional or physical harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AHMED: On the surface, it looks nice. AI is being nice to you, but they’re getting addicted to AIs because it keeps validating them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: As for what’s to be done, Myra Cheng says that companies and policymakers should work together to fix the problem, as these AIs are built deliberately by people and can be modified to be less affirming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: But at the same time, I think maybe the biggest recommendation is to not use AI to substitute conversations that you would be having with other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Especially the tough conversations. For NPR News, I’m Ari Daniel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Myra Cheng, a computer science Ph.D. student at Stanford University, has spent a lot of time listening to undergraduates on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They would tell me about how a lot of their peers are using AI for relationship advice, to draft breakup texts, to navigate these kinds of social relationships with your friend or your partner or someone else in your real life,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students said that in those interactions, the AI quickly appeared to take their side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And I think more broadly,” says Cheng, “if you use AI for writing some sort of code or even editing any sort of writing, it’ll be like, ‘Wow, your code or your writing is amazing.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Cheng, this excessive flattery and unconditional validation from many AI models seemed different from how a human being might respond. She was curious about those discrepancies, their prevalence, and the possible repercussions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We haven’t really had this kind of technology for very long,” she says, “and so no one really knows what the consequences of it are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a recent study published in the journal \u003ca href=\"http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec8352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Science\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Cheng and her colleagues report that AI models offer affirmations more often than people do, even for morally dubious or troubling scenarios. And they found that this sycophancy was something that people trusted and preferred in an AI — even as it made them less inclined to apologize or take responsibility for their behavior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The findings, experts say, highlight how this common AI feature may keep people returning to the technology, despite the harm it causes them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not unlike social media in that both “drive engagement by creating addictive, personalized feedback loops that learn exactly what makes you tick,” says \u003ca href=\"https://www.ishtiaque.net/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ishtiaque Ahmed\u003c/a>, a computer scientist at the University of Toronto who wasn’t involved in the research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>AI can affirm worrisome human behavior\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>To do this analysis, Cheng turned to a few datasets. One involved the Reddit community \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A.I.T.A\u003c/a>., which stands for “Am I The A**hole?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s where people will post these situations from their lives and they’ll get a crowdsourced judgment of — are they right or are they wrong?” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, is someone wrong for leaving their trash in a park that had no trash bins in it? The crowdsourced consensus: Yes, definitely wrong. City officials expect people to take their trash with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But 11 AI models often took a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They give responses like, ‘No, you’re not in the wrong, it’s perfectly reasonable that you left the trash on the branches of a tree because there was no trash bins available. You did the best you could,'” explains Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In threads where the human community had decided someone was in the wrong, the AI affirmed that user’s behavior 51% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This trend also held for more problematic scenarios culled from \u003ca href=\"about:blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> differe\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"about:blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nt\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> advice subreddit\u003c/a> where users described behaviors of theirs that were harmful, illegal or deceptive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One example we have is like, ‘I was making someone else wait on a video call for 30 minutes just for fun because, like, I wanted to see them suffer,'” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AI models were split in their responses, with some arguing this behavior was hurtful, while others suggested that the user was merely setting a boundary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, the chatbots endorsed a user’s problematic behavior 47% of the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see that there’s a big difference between how people might respond to these situations versus AI,” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Encouraging you to feel you’re right\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Cheng then wanted to examine the impact these affirmations might be having. The research team invited 800 people to interact with either an affirming AI or a non-affirming AI about an actual conflict from their lives where they may have been in the wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Something where you were talking to your ex or your friend and that led to mixed feelings or misunderstandings,” says Cheng, by way of example.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her colleagues then asked the participants to reflect on how they felt and write a letter to the other person involved in the conflict. Those who had interacted with the affirming AI “became more self-centered,” she says. And they became 25% more convinced that they were right compared to those who had interacted with the non-affirming AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were also 10% less willing to apologize, do something to repair the situation, or change their behavior. “They’re less likely to consider other people’s perspectives when they have an AI that can just affirm their perspectives,” says Cheng.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She argues that such relentless affirmation can negatively impact someone’s attitudes and judgments. “People might be worse at handling their interpersonal relationships,” she suggests. “They might be less willing to navigate conflict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it had taken only the briefest of interactions with an AI to reach that point. Cheng also found that people had more confidence in and preference for an AI that affirmed them, compared to one that told them they might be wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the authors explain in their paper, “This creates perverse incentives for sycophancy to persist” for the companies designing these AI tools and models. “The very feature that causes harm also drives engagement,” they add.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>AI’s dark side\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“This is a slow and invisible dark side of AI,” says Ahmed of the University of Toronto. “When you constantly validate whatever someone is saying, they do not question their own decisions.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahmed calls the work important and says that when a person’s self-criticism becomes eroded, it can lead to bad choices — and even emotional or physical harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“On the surface, it looks nice,” he says. “AI is being nice to you. But they’re getting addicted to AI because it keeps validating them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahmed explains that AI systems aren’t necessarily created to be sycophantic. “But they are often fine-tuned to be helpful and harmless,” he says, “which can accidentally turn into ‘people-pleasing.’ Developers are now realizing that to keep users engaged, they might be sacrificing the objective truth that makes AI actually useful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for what might be done to address the problem, Cheng believes that companies and policymakers should work together to fix the issue, as these AIs are built deliberately by people, and can and should be modified to be less affirming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s an inevitable lag between the technology and possible regulation. “Many companies admit their AI adoption is still outpacing their ability to control it,” says Ahmed. “It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game where the tech evolves in weeks, while the laws to govern it can take years to pass.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng has reached an additional conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think maybe the biggest recommendation,” she says, “is to not use AI to substitute conversations that you would be having with other people,” especially the tough conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cheng herself hasn’t yet used an AI chatbot for advice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Especially now, given the consequences that we’ve seen,” she says, “I think that I’m even less likely to do so in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCOTT DETROW, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The AI models and chatbots we interact with – they tend to validate our feelings at our viewpoints much more so than people might, a new study finds, with potentially worrisome consequences. Here’s science reporter Ari Daniel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ARI DANIEL, BYLINE: This all started when Myra Cheng, a computer science PhD student at Stanford University, was chatting with various undergrads on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MYRA CHENG: They would tell me about how a lot of their peers are using AI for relationship advice, to draft breakup texts, to navigate these kinds of social relationships with your friend or your partner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Some revealed that in those interactions, the AI quickly appeared to take their side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: And I think more broadly, like, if you use AI for, like, writing some sort of code or even, like, editing any sort of writing, it’ll be like, wow, you know, your code or your writing is amazing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: This excessive flattery and unconditional validation from many AI models – to Cheng, it seemed different from how humans might respond. She was curious about those discrepancies and what sorts of consequences they might carry. So she and her colleagues did a series of analysis. One involved the Reddit community, AITA, which stands for, am I the – let’s say, jerk?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Where people will post these situations from their lives, and they’ll get a crowdsource judgment of, are they right or are they wrong?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: For instance, am I wrong for leaving my trash in a park that had no trash bins in it? The crowdsource consensus was yes, but the AI models often took a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: They gave responses like, no, you’re not in the wrong. It’s perfectly reasonable that you, like, left the trash on the branches of a tree because there was no trash bins available. You did the best you could.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: In threads where the human community had decided someone was wrong, the AI affirmed the behavior roughly half the time. Cheng then wanted to examine the impact of these affirmations. That meant, in part, inviting 800 people to interact with either an affirming AI or a non-affirming AI about an actual conflict from their lives where they may or may not have been in the wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Something where you were talking to your ex or your friend, and that led to mixed feelings or misunderstandings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Cheng and her colleagues then asked the participants to reflect on how they felt. Those who had interacted with the affirming AI…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: Became more self-centered. They became more convinced that they were right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Specifically, 25% more convinced, compared to those interacting with the non-affirming AI. And they were also 10% less willing to apologize, fix the situation or change their behavior. Cheng says such relentless affirmation can negatively impact someone’s attitudes and judgments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: People might be worse at handling their interpersonal relationships. They might be less willing to navigate conflict.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: The research is published in the journal Science.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ISHTIAQUE AHMED: This is a very, you know, like a slow and invisible dark sides of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Ishtiaque Ahmed is a computer scientist at the University of Toronto, who wasn’t involved in the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AHMED: When you constantly validate whatever someone is saying, they do not question their own decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Ahmed says that when a person’s self-criticism becomes eroded, it can lead to bad choices and even emotional or physical harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AHMED: On the surface, it looks nice. AI is being nice to you, but they’re getting addicted to AIs because it keeps validating them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: As for what’s to be done, Myra Cheng says that companies and policymakers should work together to fix the problem, as these AIs are built deliberately by people and can be modified to be less affirming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHENG: But at the same time, I think maybe the biggest recommendation is to not use AI to substitute conversations that you would be having with other people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DANIEL: Especially the tough conversations. For NPR News, I’m Ari Daniel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"headTitle": "Trump Administration Delays Rule Aimed at Improving Disability Access in Schools | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Public colleges, K-12 schools, local governments and other public institutions will have an extra year to make their digital materials fully accessible for people with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many institutions had been racing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>for at least two years\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, toward a deadline that was originally set for this Friday to comply with new federal accessibility guidelines updating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It was a day\u003cu> \u003c/u>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/06/nx-s1-5720191/digital-accessibility-college-education-disability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>disability rights advocates had been\u003c/u>\u003c/a> eagerly awaiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just four days ahead of the deadline, the Justice Department overrode the original rule and said public entities serving 50,000 or more people will now have until April 26, 2027. Smaller public institutions will have until that date in 2028.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Justice Department “overestimated the capabilities (whether staffing or technology) of covered entities to comply with the rule in the time frames provided,” the DOJ said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/20/2026-07663/extension-of-compliance-dates-for-nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>its interim final rule\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are outraged,” said Corbb O’Connor, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. The national organization, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.aapd.com/aapd-statement-title-ii-doj-web-rule-ifr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>other disability rights organizations\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-condemns-doj-interim-final-rule-signaling-delay-ada__;!!Iwwt!UpEGokKXfxXMV0hf7SEG-7-Njwx-XqpBX8oOtDJaz_-UPbDFVYQAS06xtVb92KOjWAApZZgW6nf1s5fCr0AxpAc%24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>has condemned the delay\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yet again, the blind have been told to wait to live on terms of equality,” O’Connor said. He pointed out that despite the rule being recent, international standards for web accessibility \u003ca href=\"https://www.boia.org/blog/history-of-the-web-content-accessibility-guidelines-wcag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>have existed since 1999\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) has joined the chorus in pushing back on the last-minute change. “AHEAD and its members have long anticipated clear and timely guidance that reflects current technologies, instructional models, and student needs,” said Katy Washington, president of AHEAD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization represents disability resource staff, including ADA coordinators, at colleges and universities. “Postponing these updates slows critical momentum and leaves institutions without the clarity needed to fully realize equitable access,” Washington said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Addressing a need for clear guidelines\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Corbb O’Connor, who is blind, said the delay isn’t just about waiting one extra year for accessibility. “We’ve been waiting nearly 36 years since the law that guaranteed these rights, the one that heralded a new era of access, was signed into law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is referring to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-ii-2010-regulations/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Title II of the ADA,\u003c/u>\u003c/a> the 1990 law which has long promised accessibility to people with disabilities, including in the digital realm. But before this rule, the ADA didn’t clearly lay out what accessibility had to look or sound like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new regulation, announced in 2024, aimed to change that by pointing institutions to a set of technical guidelines known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>WCAG 2.1\u003c/u>\u003c/a>. It provided a clear checklist of accessibility requirements their web and mobile content had to meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes transcripts for audio clips, captioning for videos and making sure PDFs and other webpages are friendly with screen readers, an assistive technology blind people use to interpret visual content into audible speech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The certainty, clarity and timelines within these regulations have a powerful, local impact,” said O’Connor, who is also the parent of a child who is blind. “Within minutes of meeting my son’s elementary school principal for the first time, he knew the April 24, 2026 deadline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Mathis was at the Justice Department when the original rule was announced and helped craft it. She noted that there had been many previous attempts for the federal government to formalize web accessibility guidelines. And Mathis said that while the need for digital accessibility was loud and clear from people with disabilities, calls for clear guidelines also came from public institutions themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole point of this particular rule was to create certainty and clarity for everyone,” Mathis said. “To delay the standards now, after 16 years and an incredibly thorough rulemaking process, is just mindless and cruel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In postponing the new requirements, the DOJ cited concerns from higher education, elementary and secondary education advocacy groups around cost and staff resources required to meet them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many districts are already financially stretched and operating in an environment where schools are asked to do more with less,” said Sasha Pudelski of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which primarily represents K-12 school superintendents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AASA was one of the organizations that met with federal government officials to ask for a delay. The organization conducted a survey of its members and found that most districts said they would struggle to pay for the costs of compliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The scope, pace, and unfunded nature of this requirement reflect a significant disconnect between federal expectations and the fiscal and human capital realities of local school systems,” Pudelski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a federal rule on digital accessibility may not be effective for at least another year, there have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.klcc.org/education/2026-04-09/in-475k-settlement-oregon-state-university-works-to-improve-blind-student-experiences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>a number\u003c/u>\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=Roy+Payan+and+Portia+Mason&rlz=1C1GCFQ_enUS1206US1206&oq=Roy+Payan+and+Portia+Mason&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAtIBBzU0M2owajSoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>successful legal actions\u003c/u>\u003c/a> holding\u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-agreement-university-california-berkeley-make-online-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu> colleges and other institutions accountable\u003c/u>\u003c/a> for equal access to learning materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/6576424/steve-drummond\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Steve Drummond\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Visual design and development by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/348775569/la-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>LA Johnson\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Public colleges, K-12 schools, local governments and other public institutions will have an extra year to make their digital materials fully accessible for people with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many institutions had been racing, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>for at least two years\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, toward a deadline that was originally set for this Friday to comply with new federal accessibility guidelines updating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It was a day\u003cu> \u003c/u>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/06/nx-s1-5720191/digital-accessibility-college-education-disability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>disability rights advocates had been\u003c/u>\u003c/a> eagerly awaiting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just four days ahead of the deadline, the Justice Department overrode the original rule and said public entities serving 50,000 or more people will now have until April 26, 2027. Smaller public institutions will have until that date in 2028.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Justice Department “overestimated the capabilities (whether staffing or technology) of covered entities to comply with the rule in the time frames provided,” the DOJ said in \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/20/2026-07663/extension-of-compliance-dates-for-nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>its interim final rule\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are outraged,” said Corbb O’Connor, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. The national organization, along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.aapd.com/aapd-statement-title-ii-doj-web-rule-ifr/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>other disability rights organizations\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-condemns-doj-interim-final-rule-signaling-delay-ada__;!!Iwwt!UpEGokKXfxXMV0hf7SEG-7-Njwx-XqpBX8oOtDJaz_-UPbDFVYQAS06xtVb92KOjWAApZZgW6nf1s5fCr0AxpAc%24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>has condemned the delay\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yet again, the blind have been told to wait to live on terms of equality,” O’Connor said. He pointed out that despite the rule being recent, international standards for web accessibility \u003ca href=\"https://www.boia.org/blog/history-of-the-web-content-accessibility-guidelines-wcag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>have existed since 1999\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) has joined the chorus in pushing back on the last-minute change. “AHEAD and its members have long anticipated clear and timely guidance that reflects current technologies, instructional models, and student needs,” said Katy Washington, president of AHEAD.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization represents disability resource staff, including ADA coordinators, at colleges and universities. “Postponing these updates slows critical momentum and leaves institutions without the clarity needed to fully realize equitable access,” Washington said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Addressing a need for clear guidelines\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Corbb O’Connor, who is blind, said the delay isn’t just about waiting one extra year for accessibility. “We’ve been waiting nearly 36 years since the law that guaranteed these rights, the one that heralded a new era of access, was signed into law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is referring to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-ii-2010-regulations/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Title II of the ADA,\u003c/u>\u003c/a> the 1990 law which has long promised accessibility to people with disabilities, including in the digital realm. But before this rule, the ADA didn’t clearly lay out what accessibility had to look or sound like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new regulation, announced in 2024, aimed to change that by pointing institutions to a set of technical guidelines known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>WCAG 2.1\u003c/u>\u003c/a>. It provided a clear checklist of accessibility requirements their web and mobile content had to meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes transcripts for audio clips, captioning for videos and making sure PDFs and other webpages are friendly with screen readers, an assistive technology blind people use to interpret visual content into audible speech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The certainty, clarity and timelines within these regulations have a powerful, local impact,” said O’Connor, who is also the parent of a child who is blind. “Within minutes of meeting my son’s elementary school principal for the first time, he knew the April 24, 2026 deadline.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Mathis was at the Justice Department when the original rule was announced and helped craft it. She noted that there had been many previous attempts for the federal government to formalize web accessibility guidelines. And Mathis said that while the need for digital accessibility was loud and clear from people with disabilities, calls for clear guidelines also came from public institutions themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole point of this particular rule was to create certainty and clarity for everyone,” Mathis said. “To delay the standards now, after 16 years and an incredibly thorough rulemaking process, is just mindless and cruel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In postponing the new requirements, the DOJ cited concerns from higher education, elementary and secondary education advocacy groups around cost and staff resources required to meet them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many districts are already financially stretched and operating in an environment where schools are asked to do more with less,” said Sasha Pudelski of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which primarily represents K-12 school superintendents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AASA was one of the organizations that met with federal government officials to ask for a delay. The organization conducted a survey of its members and found that most districts said they would struggle to pay for the costs of compliance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The scope, pace, and unfunded nature of this requirement reflect a significant disconnect between federal expectations and the fiscal and human capital realities of local school systems,” Pudelski said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While a federal rule on digital accessibility may not be effective for at least another year, there have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.klcc.org/education/2026-04-09/in-475k-settlement-oregon-state-university-works-to-improve-blind-student-experiences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>a number\u003c/u>\u003c/a> of \u003ca href=\"http://google.com/search?q=Roy+Payan+and+Portia+Mason&rlz=1C1GCFQ_enUS1206US1206&oq=Roy+Payan+and+Portia+Mason&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRiPAtIBBzU0M2owajSoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>successful legal actions\u003c/u>\u003c/a> holding\u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-agreement-university-california-berkeley-make-online-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu> colleges and other institutions accountable\u003c/u>\u003c/a> for equal access to learning materials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/6576424/steve-drummond\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Steve Drummond\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Visual design and development by: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/348775569/la-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>LA Johnson\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 30 years, Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa has relied on AmeriCorps services to support their students that need extra help. But when federal funding was cut, and later reinstated, that programming stalled, leaving some students behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this episode, principal Nina Craig explains how the loss of tutors affected instruction and student relationships, while new AmeriCorps members, Maya Nurse and Elena Zeoli, describe stepping into classrooms with limited time and resources. We learn how even a few missed months of literacy support reduces how many students can be served.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1557384124\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marlena Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Welcome to Mind Shift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Marlena Jackson Rotondo. It’s almost Winter break at Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa, California, and tutoring sessions for the school year have just begun. The schools to AmeriCorps tutors have gone through a crash course of training to prepare for the reading and writing support they’ll provide for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>AmeriCorps is an independent government agency whose volunteer members provide educational support and services to schools across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>On this morning, a small group of fourth graders reluctantly file into the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>They’ve been pulled out of their classroom to spend 30 minutes with the tutors, Maya Nurse and Elena Zeoli.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maya has the students get straight to work reading a story out loud from a workbook In unison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mya Nurse:\u003c/strong> We’re gonna start with our choral style of reading today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mya Nurse:\u003c/strong> Ready? Go!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>All reading:\u003c/strong> My mother says to me, I choose a pretty paper fan with a picture of leaves and fireflies. I will keep my fan forever. When I grow up I will look at it and remember this night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The tutors stop the students every couple of sentences to ask about vocabulary in the text.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> So what happened?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> What unexpectedly happened? The wet… they were warned about the weather. They thought the waves were only gonna get to how tall? Do you remember from the first page? Student: mmmm….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The students seem timid, and when they do speak up, it’s very quiet. And sometimes the students don’t answer the questions at all, but Maya and Elena, unfazed by the silence, move on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> This is normal student behavior for the first week of tutoring at Bellevue Elementary, but what isn’t normal is that the first week of tutoring has been delayed this year by more than two months. Tutoring was supposed to start in early fall. Last April, all AmeriCorps funding was terminated by the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong> This ended an almost three decade long collaboration between Bellevue Elementary and AmeriCorps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These cuts happened immediately and without explanation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> It was shocking how quickly it happened. Um, uh, literally felt like overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> so it kind of felt like the rug was pulled out from us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> That’s Nina Craig Bellevue, elementary’s principal of 10 years. Before that, she was a fifth grade teacher and she recalls working with AmeriCorps members then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> As a classroom teacher I remember them coming into my room and working with some of my students and having that partnership as a teacher\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And because the AmeriCorps members were such an integral part of the school community, the cuts were difficult for Bellevue students too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> The relationship with the kids that was established and for the kids to all of a sudden have these people gone that are such a vital part of our school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> was really sad and really hard to explain, because they really do become a part of our school culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong> Through lawsuits. AmeriCorps funding cuts were reversed in June of last year, but by that time, schools like Bellevue Elementary were already behind for the next school year’s cycle of tutoring. Some schools across the district opted not to continue with tutoring and mentoring support from AmeriCorps members for the next school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> This is because they had to make decisions about their funding and without the certainty of AmeriCorps services, they had to go without. And because programming was delayed, Bellevue students didn’t start tutoring until December instead of October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> there hasn’t been any tutoring offered for our third through sixth grade students until now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> So without AmeriCorps, those students aren’t receiving any type of tutoring or intervention. And unless the teacher’s able to carve out time within their day to provide that,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> AmeriCorps members provide one of Bellevue elementary’s only forms of tier two support. That’s targeted support in a small group setting. In this case, it helps students who are struggling with reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> In years past, we’ve had literacy paraprofessionals that could support our tier two. Um, however, with budget cuts, this is our first year without having them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> And so, um, we have one instructional aide. For the entire school\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> But yeah, we’re very limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The two AmeriCorps tutors contribute greatly to Bellevue’s tier two manpower, but it’s still not enough. The school reduced the kindergarten day by one and a half hours so that kindergarten teachers could provide extra support for Bellevue’s first and second grade classrooms. On short notice, and with no wiggle room in their budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Bellevue Elementary had to make some hard choices. We’ll find out how they’re doing right after this break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>***Midroll Break***\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>When I visited Bellevue Elementary back in December, I spoke with Fonzi, a fourth grader, receiving small group literacy tutoring for 30 minutes per day, four days per week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> Fonzi: \u003c/strong>Dog Man and then I Survived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fonzi’s telling me about the books he likes to read at home.,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> What was that one?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> I Survived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> What’s that one about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> It’s um, there’s like different books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> Fonzi:\u003c/strong> There’s, um, a Titanic book that, um, sunk in the ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> So you read about different survival stories? Whoa, that’s pretty cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> He feels like there’s less reading time when he’s in his classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> The things that are different is, um, we don’t like read a lot of books,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> But when he’s in his tutoring sessions, reading time, one of his favorite things to do, is extended\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> At AR time, we um, read, we read books for 15 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Fonzi is part of a small group of fourth grade students who have been identified as needing extra support with reading. During a normal year, there’s enough time for two groups of students to cycle through tutoring support from AmeriCorps members. But this year, since tutoring at Bellevue started late, AmeriCorps members only have time to help half of the students that they normally would.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> At sites like Bellevue, the AmeriCorps tutors have become a staple in the school community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> There’s so many ways AmeriCorps impacts because of the tutoring, the recess playtime, the mentoring. It’s so much connection. You guys probably know more of the kids’ names than I do, um, at this point. And you just started\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And for Maya and Elena who are just starting their careers, the program offers them a glimpse into their professional future\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I know I want to do a job where I’m helping people and so I thought this was a great opportunity to, yeah, like, get some real life experience where I’m like serving others and I’m thinking of maybe doing something with social work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> The opportunity to work with students in a school setting also offered Maya something new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I’ve never worked with kids, and so I was kind of like, I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Like, I don’t know if I..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> …If I can do this, at first, you know, I was a little timid, but then you kind of just jump in and, um, you start connecting with the kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>When I spoke with the tutoring pair back in December, Elena was already feeling optimistic about her future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> So far this job I feel extremely passionate about, which is, it’s just really nice waking up in the morning and I, I wake up early, like I wake up before my alarm clock ’cause I’m just excited to come to the school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> A couple months later, Maya and Elena felt comfortable in their roles,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I just like know what I’m doing a little more. I kinda have a sense of like, we have a daily routine. I have really like good relationships with students now, so I’m like so excited to see them every day and they’re excited to see me and yeah, it’s great. It’s really good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And the AmeriCorps tutors have also noticed improvements in their students as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> One of my students in sixth grade, in one of his tests, he was and like the 26th percentile for reading in like November. And now he is like in the 42nd percentile and I’m like, whoa, that’s so like rewarding and exciting that he’s like doing so much better and able to do that on his own now, like do it more on his own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> But the reality of having to work within the school’s limited resources has also sunk in for Maya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> Sometimes also it’s like really hard to see like how some students struggle so much in school or like, you know, and I can only do so much and help them so much in that 30 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> yeah, just doing the best you can every day with what you have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> Cat was going to wait the cat, and then this could change to hundreds of bugs in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> He called his keys and…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>I walked into the tutoring classroom in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> It felt like a transformed space with students who were relaxed and eager to learn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Elena had also noticed a difference in her students too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> I feel like they’re a lot more confident in answering questions and what to write down. So I feel like that’s. That’s like the biggest difference I’ve seen is like their confidence in what they’re writing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> So the door, what’s the door? Who does he know? What’s the door? It’s D, the OOR. Yeah. I thought it was E-D-O-O-O-R-H. What? All right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Fonzi has also gained confidence in his reading abilities since December. He told me he’s reading three to four books a day and even tackling some chapter books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> When I first came in and reading groups, um, we started reading books and stuff and I kind of got into it and I started reading books every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> The benefits of extra reading support provided by the AmeriCorps tutors at school has extended into Fonzie’s home life as well. He and his siblings made up a reading game that they like to play at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> We guess, like, the book that they have. They don’t show the covers. And we, guess, and then if we get it right, the people that have the book that the people say, they’re eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Even though there won’t be enough time to bring in another group of fourth graders for tutoring this school year, Elena and Maya look forward to the rest of their time with the students that they are able to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Thank you to Bellevue Elementary’s faculty and staff who contributed their time to make this episode possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The MindShift team includes me, Marlena Jackson-Retondo, Nimah Gobir, and Ki Sung. Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Jen Chien is head of podcasts and Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s, editor-in-chief. We receive additional support from Maha Sanad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Mindshift is supported in part by the generosity of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and members of KQED, some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio artists. San Francisco, Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Thanks for listening.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#episode-transcript\">\u003ci>View the full episode transcript.\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For 30 years, Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa has relied on AmeriCorps services to support their students that need extra help. But when federal funding was cut, and later reinstated, that programming stalled, leaving some students behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this episode, principal Nina Craig explains how the loss of tutors affected instruction and student relationships, while new AmeriCorps members, Maya Nurse and Elena Zeoli, describe stepping into classrooms with limited time and resources. We learn how even a few missed months of literacy support reduces how many students can be served.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC1557384124\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-content post-body\">\u003ch2 id=\"episode-transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marlena Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Welcome to Mind Shift, where we explore the future of learning and how we raise our kids. I’m Marlena Jackson Rotondo. It’s almost Winter break at Bellevue Elementary in Santa Rosa, California, and tutoring sessions for the school year have just begun. The schools to AmeriCorps tutors have gone through a crash course of training to prepare for the reading and writing support they’ll provide for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>AmeriCorps is an independent government agency whose volunteer members provide educational support and services to schools across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>On this morning, a small group of fourth graders reluctantly file into the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>They’ve been pulled out of their classroom to spend 30 minutes with the tutors, Maya Nurse and Elena Zeoli.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maya has the students get straight to work reading a story out loud from a workbook In unison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mya Nurse:\u003c/strong> We’re gonna start with our choral style of reading today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mya Nurse:\u003c/strong> Ready? Go!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>All reading:\u003c/strong> My mother says to me, I choose a pretty paper fan with a picture of leaves and fireflies. I will keep my fan forever. When I grow up I will look at it and remember this night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The tutors stop the students every couple of sentences to ask about vocabulary in the text.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> So what happened?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> What unexpectedly happened? The wet… they were warned about the weather. They thought the waves were only gonna get to how tall? Do you remember from the first page? Student: mmmm….\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The students seem timid, and when they do speak up, it’s very quiet. And sometimes the students don’t answer the questions at all, but Maya and Elena, unfazed by the silence, move on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> This is normal student behavior for the first week of tutoring at Bellevue Elementary, but what isn’t normal is that the first week of tutoring has been delayed this year by more than two months. Tutoring was supposed to start in early fall. Last April, all AmeriCorps funding was terminated by the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong> This ended an almost three decade long collaboration between Bellevue Elementary and AmeriCorps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These cuts happened immediately and without explanation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> It was shocking how quickly it happened. Um, uh, literally felt like overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> so it kind of felt like the rug was pulled out from us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> That’s Nina Craig Bellevue, elementary’s principal of 10 years. Before that, she was a fifth grade teacher and she recalls working with AmeriCorps members then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> As a classroom teacher I remember them coming into my room and working with some of my students and having that partnership as a teacher\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And because the AmeriCorps members were such an integral part of the school community, the cuts were difficult for Bellevue students too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> The relationship with the kids that was established and for the kids to all of a sudden have these people gone that are such a vital part of our school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> was really sad and really hard to explain, because they really do become a part of our school culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong> Through lawsuits. AmeriCorps funding cuts were reversed in June of last year, but by that time, schools like Bellevue Elementary were already behind for the next school year’s cycle of tutoring. Some schools across the district opted not to continue with tutoring and mentoring support from AmeriCorps members for the next school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> This is because they had to make decisions about their funding and without the certainty of AmeriCorps services, they had to go without. And because programming was delayed, Bellevue students didn’t start tutoring until December instead of October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> there hasn’t been any tutoring offered for our third through sixth grade students until now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> So without AmeriCorps, those students aren’t receiving any type of tutoring or intervention. And unless the teacher’s able to carve out time within their day to provide that,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> AmeriCorps members provide one of Bellevue elementary’s only forms of tier two support. That’s targeted support in a small group setting. In this case, it helps students who are struggling with reading.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> In years past, we’ve had literacy paraprofessionals that could support our tier two. Um, however, with budget cuts, this is our first year without having them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> And so, um, we have one instructional aide. For the entire school\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> But yeah, we’re very limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The two AmeriCorps tutors contribute greatly to Bellevue’s tier two manpower, but it’s still not enough. The school reduced the kindergarten day by one and a half hours so that kindergarten teachers could provide extra support for Bellevue’s first and second grade classrooms. On short notice, and with no wiggle room in their budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Bellevue Elementary had to make some hard choices. We’ll find out how they’re doing right after this break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>***Midroll Break***\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>When I visited Bellevue Elementary back in December, I spoke with Fonzi, a fourth grader, receiving small group literacy tutoring for 30 minutes per day, four days per week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> Fonzi: \u003c/strong>Dog Man and then I Survived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fonzi’s telling me about the books he likes to read at home.,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> What was that one?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> I Survived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> What’s that one about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> It’s um, there’s like different books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong> Fonzi:\u003c/strong> There’s, um, a Titanic book that, um, sunk in the ocean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> So you read about different survival stories? Whoa, that’s pretty cool.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> He feels like there’s less reading time when he’s in his classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> The things that are different is, um, we don’t like read a lot of books,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> But when he’s in his tutoring sessions, reading time, one of his favorite things to do, is extended\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> At AR time, we um, read, we read books for 15 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Fonzi is part of a small group of fourth grade students who have been identified as needing extra support with reading. During a normal year, there’s enough time for two groups of students to cycle through tutoring support from AmeriCorps members. But this year, since tutoring at Bellevue started late, AmeriCorps members only have time to help half of the students that they normally would.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> At sites like Bellevue, the AmeriCorps tutors have become a staple in the school community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nina Craig:\u003c/strong> There’s so many ways AmeriCorps impacts because of the tutoring, the recess playtime, the mentoring. It’s so much connection. You guys probably know more of the kids’ names than I do, um, at this point. And you just started\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And for Maya and Elena who are just starting their careers, the program offers them a glimpse into their professional future\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I know I want to do a job where I’m helping people and so I thought this was a great opportunity to, yeah, like, get some real life experience where I’m like serving others and I’m thinking of maybe doing something with social work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> The opportunity to work with students in a school setting also offered Maya something new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I’ve never worked with kids, and so I was kind of like, I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Like, I don’t know if I..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> …If I can do this, at first, you know, I was a little timid, but then you kind of just jump in and, um, you start connecting with the kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>When I spoke with the tutoring pair back in December, Elena was already feeling optimistic about her future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> So far this job I feel extremely passionate about, which is, it’s just really nice waking up in the morning and I, I wake up early, like I wake up before my alarm clock ’cause I’m just excited to come to the school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> A couple months later, Maya and Elena felt comfortable in their roles,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> I just like know what I’m doing a little more. I kinda have a sense of like, we have a daily routine. I have really like good relationships with students now, so I’m like so excited to see them every day and they’re excited to see me and yeah, it’s great. It’s really good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> And the AmeriCorps tutors have also noticed improvements in their students as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> One of my students in sixth grade, in one of his tests, he was and like the 26th percentile for reading in like November. And now he is like in the 42nd percentile and I’m like, whoa, that’s so like rewarding and exciting that he’s like doing so much better and able to do that on his own now, like do it more on his own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> But the reality of having to work within the school’s limited resources has also sunk in for Maya.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> Sometimes also it’s like really hard to see like how some students struggle so much in school or like, you know, and I can only do so much and help them so much in that 30 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Maya Nurse:\u003c/strong> yeah, just doing the best you can every day with what you have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> Cat was going to wait the cat, and then this could change to hundreds of bugs in one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> He called his keys and…\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>I walked into the tutoring classroom in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> It felt like a transformed space with students who were relaxed and eager to learn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Elena had also noticed a difference in her students too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Elena Zeoli:\u003c/strong> I feel like they’re a lot more confident in answering questions and what to write down. So I feel like that’s. That’s like the biggest difference I’ve seen is like their confidence in what they’re writing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>ambi:\u003c/strong> So the door, what’s the door? Who does he know? What’s the door? It’s D, the OOR. Yeah. I thought it was E-D-O-O-O-R-H. What? All right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Fonzi has also gained confidence in his reading abilities since December. He told me he’s reading three to four books a day and even tackling some chapter books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> When I first came in and reading groups, um, we started reading books and stuff and I kind of got into it and I started reading books every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> The benefits of extra reading support provided by the AmeriCorps tutors at school has extended into Fonzie’s home life as well. He and his siblings made up a reading game that they like to play at home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fonzi:\u003c/strong> We guess, like, the book that they have. They don’t show the covers. And we, guess, and then if we get it right, the people that have the book that the people say, they’re eliminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Even though there won’t be enough time to bring in another group of fourth graders for tutoring this school year, Elena and Maya look forward to the rest of their time with the students that they are able to help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo:\u003c/strong> Thank you to Bellevue Elementary’s faculty and staff who contributed their time to make this episode possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>The MindShift team includes me, Marlena Jackson-Retondo, Nimah Gobir, and Ki Sung. Our editor is Chris Hambrick. Seth Samuel is our sound designer. Jen Chien is head of podcasts and Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s, editor-in-chief. We receive additional support from Maha Sanad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Mindshift is supported in part by the generosity of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and members of KQED, some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio artists. San Francisco, Northern California Local.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jackson-Retondo: \u003c/strong>Thanks for listening.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>"
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"content": "\u003cp>In two \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5764306/big-tech-lawsuits-verdicts-accountability-social-media-harms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landmark cases\u003c/a>, social media companies have been found liable for endangering and harming children. Meta and Google are appealing the verdicts and disputing the idea that their products are addictive. But over the course of more than a decade, scientists have identified key features of social media and other apps meant to hold children’s attention for as long as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These features create a kind of superglue on the apps, says cultural anthropologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.natashadowschull.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natasha Dow Schüll\u003c/a> at New York University, who has pioneered research in this field. “They keep us spending more time on these apps and spending more money. They drain us of our energy and ourselves.” Understanding these features offers parents a rubric for evaluating how harmful an app or device may be for kids, Schüll says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the trial in California, the attorney bringing the case accused Meta and Google of designing their apps to behave like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/nx-s1-5716229/zuckerberg-social-media-addiction-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital casinos\u003c/a>.” That’s an apt comparison, according to Schüll’s research, because major design elements of social media have surprising roots in the gambling industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pulled into the “machine zone”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the casino industry gradually and \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/25046062\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purposely created\u003c/a> what many scientists consider to be the \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5846825/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">most addictive form of gambling\u003c/a>: video slot machines. They are something like a giant app, played on a huge video screen with an ergonomic chair attached to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People struggling with gambling addiction often cite video slots as their game of choice, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796798000862\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">studies\u003c/a> have found. Some people gamble on these machines for extraordinary periods of time, Schüll found in her ethnographic fieldwork. They can play for 24 hours, even 48 hours straight. Some people even told Schüll that they wear adult diapers to the casino so they don’t have to stop gambling to use the restroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, Schüll set out on a bold mission: to figure out how these games exert this magnetic effect. What features might literally prevent flourishing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She \u003ca href=\"https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691278285/addiction-by-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent 15 years\u003c/a> dissecting the inner workings of video slot machines. She also interviewed everyone up and down the industry, from the marketers and mathematicians to software engineers and executives, as well as people who used these devices daily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through her research, she uncovered four key features that, when combined together, help hold people on the gambling devices. These features trigger a trancelike or dissociative state, known as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19492901.2012.11728356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">machine zone\u003c/a>” or “\u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5846824/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dark flow\u003c/a>,” in which people lose track of their sense of time and place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Schüll’s surprise, around the early 2010s, the same features began to appear on phone and tablet apps, including social media, games and video-streaming platforms. “These are not normal products for kids like a pair of shoes or a toy,” she says. “They create a relationship with kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are four features that create that superglue:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 1: solitude\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“When the relationship is just between you and the machine, it removes social cues needed for stopping,” Schüll says. It’s harder to notice when the activity no longer serves the person playing or scrolling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies have found that children who regularly use screens \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-024-03243-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alone in their bedrooms\u003c/a> have a higher risk of developing what psychologists call problematic usage. That is, they continue to use an app or play a game even when it damages their health. For example, the app may interfere with their sleep or friendships, but the child still feels compelled to stay on the app.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 2: bottomlessness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Videos keep appearing on TikTok and YouTube. Photos, comments and likes keep popping up on Instagram. Apps have seemingly endless content for you to see, and it all shows or plays automatically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no natural stopping point,” Schüll says. So you never feel finished or satisfied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You want one more of \u003cem>something\u003c/em>, endlessly. And that feeling grows even stronger with the third ingredient added into the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 3: speed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The faster people play video slots, the longer people gamble, Schüll \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/25046062\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">found\u003c/a> in her review of research performed by the gambling industry. Speed has a similar effect on social media and video-streaming apps, she says. The faster people can scroll, watch and then watch again, the harder it is for many to pull away from an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The speed of the feedback can cause this sense that you merge with the screen. You don’t know where you begin and the machine ends,” Schüll says. “The speed really just pulls you into this flow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For social media, the speed at which we can find “new” material has jumped with several technological advancements, including the invention of higher-speed internet and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/07/nx-s1-5775917/why-infinite-scrolls-inventor-wants-to-kill-his-creation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infinite scroll\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 4: teasing, or giving you \u003cem>almost\u003c/em> what you want\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The final ingredient is perhaps the most important, says \u003ca href=\"https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/3865/jonathan-d-morrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan D. Morrow\u003c/a>, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Michigan. It’s all about how apps select content for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how it typically works. First, the software uses AI to determine what you’re hoping to find or see. “Even if you don’t know what you want, the app knows. It’s very good at figuring that out,” Morrow says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then, he says, the app withholds that reward: “Apps don’t give it to you. They give you something close to that, and then a few clicks later, the algorithm gives you something even closer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They rarely — if ever — give you what you’re looking for. “They give just enough to keep you engaged, keep you looking at the app and interacting with it as long as possible,” he adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This teasing gives you the feeling that you’re going to get what you’re seeking soon. “So you’ll be there all day trying to get that next big thing. There’s always a \u003cem>possibility\u003c/em> you’ll finally get what you want,” Morrow says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A recipe for overuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When an app combines these four features — solitude, bottomlessness, speed and teasing — it creates a kind of recipe for overuse for nearly everyone, Schüll says. Sometimes Schüll gives her students at New York University this list of design features. “I say, ‘Pick a website or app. Then, using these criteria, rate how harmful it is.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the recipe is especially harmful for children, she adds: “It’s a cruel setup, especially when kids are concerned. Kids are obviously more vulnerable.” Therefore, she and Morrow agree: Children need help regulating their use of these apps, but they also need protection from harmful design.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michaeleen Doucleff has a Ph.D. in chemistry and is a longtime science journalist (including previously for NPR). She is the author of the parenting book \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/06/nx-s1-5737901/dopamine-kids-parenting-screens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dopamine Kids\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media companies are appealing verdicts in two cases. Both cases found them liable for creating products that harm children. Researchers have spent more than a decade identifying features that compel kids to overuse apps, and those features have roots in the gambling industry. Science journalist Michaeleen Doucleff reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF: Back in the ’80s and ’90s, the casino industry gradually and purposely developed what many scientists consider the most addictive form of gambling – video slot machines played on giant video screens with an ergonomic chair attached to it. Natasha Dow Schull is a cultural anthropologist at New York University. She says some people gamble on video slot machines for extraordinary periods of time – 24 hours, 48 hours straight. Some even wear adult diapers to the casino so they don’t have to stop to use the restroom. 30 years ago, Schull set out on a bold mission to figure out how these devices do this. How do they hold people so tightly on them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NATASHA DOW SCHULL: What are the things that keep us, you know, spending more time, spending more money, draining more of us and our energy and ourselves? What might literally sort of prevent flourishing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: She spent 15 years studying the design of video slot machines and eventually identified features that, when combined together, form a sort of super glue to grip people’s attention on video slots. Then, around 2012, to her surprise, Schull started to see the same features appear on other places – video games, streaming platforms and social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: I think gambling offers a case study of what Big Tech does in a more general way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Schull identified four features that help to form that super glue. No. 1 – solitude. You use the app alone. It’s just you and the screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: This is important because it removes social cues for stopping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: No. 2 – bottomlessness. There’s seemingly endless content on these apps – endless photos, videos or comments – and it all appears or plays automatically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: There is no natural stopping point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: So you never feel finished or satisfied. The third feature that helps grip your attention, Schull says, is speed. All this new content – the videos, the photos crop up extremely fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: The speed can cause this sense where you feel like you kind of don’t have a sense of where you begin and the machine ends. And it really just pulls you into this flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: The final ingredient is perhaps the most important. It’s how the app selects the content for you. Jonathan Morrow is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Michigan. He says, here’s how it typically works. First, the app uses AI to determine what you want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JONATHAN MORROW: They know what you want. They’re very good at figuring that out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: But this is key.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: They don’t give it to you. They give you something close to that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Then a few clicks later, the algorithm gives you something even closer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: Just enough to keep you engaged, keep you looking at it, keep you interacting with it as long as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Morrow says that this teasing holds you on the app because it gives you the feeling that you’re going to get what you want soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: Because you’ll be there all day, trying to get that next big thing. Maybe it’s going to be even better. There’s always a possibility. That’s what they want.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: When an app combines these four features – solitude, bottomlessness, speed and teasing – it creates a sort of recipe for overuse for anyone. But Natasha Dow Schull says it’s especially harmful for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: It’s a cruel setup, especially when kids are concerned, right? Kids are obviously more vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: And so, she says, they need help regulating their use of apps, but they also need protection from this harmful design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For NPR News, I’m Michaeleen Doucleff.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In two \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5764306/big-tech-lawsuits-verdicts-accountability-social-media-harms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landmark cases\u003c/a>, social media companies have been found liable for endangering and harming children. Meta and Google are appealing the verdicts and disputing the idea that their products are addictive. But over the course of more than a decade, scientists have identified key features of social media and other apps meant to hold children’s attention for as long as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed npr-promo-card insettwocolumn\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/div>\n\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These features create a kind of superglue on the apps, says cultural anthropologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.natashadowschull.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Natasha Dow Schüll\u003c/a> at New York University, who has pioneered research in this field. “They keep us spending more time on these apps and spending more money. They drain us of our energy and ourselves.” Understanding these features offers parents a rubric for evaluating how harmful an app or device may be for kids, Schüll says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the trial in California, the attorney bringing the case accused Meta and Google of designing their apps to behave like “\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/nx-s1-5716229/zuckerberg-social-media-addiction-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital casinos\u003c/a>.” That’s an apt comparison, according to Schüll’s research, because major design elements of social media have surprising roots in the gambling industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pulled into the “machine zone”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the casino industry gradually and \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/25046062\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purposely created\u003c/a> what many scientists consider to be the \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5846825/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">most addictive form of gambling\u003c/a>: video slot machines. They are something like a giant app, played on a huge video screen with an ergonomic chair attached to it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People struggling with gambling addiction often cite video slots as their game of choice, \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796798000862\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">studies\u003c/a> have found. Some people gamble on these machines for extraordinary periods of time, Schüll found in her ethnographic fieldwork. They can play for 24 hours, even 48 hours straight. Some people even told Schüll that they wear adult diapers to the casino so they don’t have to stop gambling to use the restroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, Schüll set out on a bold mission: to figure out how these games exert this magnetic effect. What features might literally prevent flourishing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She \u003ca href=\"https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691278285/addiction-by-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent 15 years\u003c/a> dissecting the inner workings of video slot machines. She also interviewed everyone up and down the industry, from the marketers and mathematicians to software engineers and executives, as well as people who used these devices daily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through her research, she uncovered four key features that, when combined together, help hold people on the gambling devices. These features trigger a trancelike or dissociative state, known as a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19492901.2012.11728356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">machine zone\u003c/a>” or “\u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5846824/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dark flow\u003c/a>,” in which people lose track of their sense of time and place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Schüll’s surprise, around the early 2010s, the same features began to appear on phone and tablet apps, including social media, games and video-streaming platforms. “These are not normal products for kids like a pair of shoes or a toy,” she says. “They create a relationship with kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are four features that create that superglue:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 1: solitude\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“When the relationship is just between you and the machine, it removes social cues needed for stopping,” Schüll says. It’s harder to notice when the activity no longer serves the person playing or scrolling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Studies have found that children who regularly use screens \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-024-03243-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">alone in their bedrooms\u003c/a> have a higher risk of developing what psychologists call problematic usage. That is, they continue to use an app or play a game even when it damages their health. For example, the app may interfere with their sleep or friendships, but the child still feels compelled to stay on the app.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 2: bottomlessness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Videos keep appearing on TikTok and YouTube. Photos, comments and likes keep popping up on Instagram. Apps have seemingly endless content for you to see, and it all shows or plays automatically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s no natural stopping point,” Schüll says. So you never feel finished or satisfied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You want one more of \u003cem>something\u003c/em>, endlessly. And that feeling grows even stronger with the third ingredient added into the mix.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 3: speed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The faster people play video slots, the longer people gamble, Schüll \u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/25046062\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">found\u003c/a> in her review of research performed by the gambling industry. Speed has a similar effect on social media and video-streaming apps, she says. The faster people can scroll, watch and then watch again, the harder it is for many to pull away from an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The speed of the feedback can cause this sense that you merge with the screen. You don’t know where you begin and the machine ends,” Schüll says. “The speed really just pulls you into this flow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For social media, the speed at which we can find “new” material has jumped with several technological advancements, including the invention of higher-speed internet and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/07/nx-s1-5775917/why-infinite-scrolls-inventor-wants-to-kill-his-creation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infinite scroll\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Feature 4: teasing, or giving you \u003cem>almost\u003c/em> what you want\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The final ingredient is perhaps the most important, says \u003ca href=\"https://medschool.umich.edu/profile/3865/jonathan-d-morrow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonathan D. Morrow\u003c/a>, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Michigan. It’s all about how apps select content for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how it typically works. First, the software uses AI to determine what you’re hoping to find or see. “Even if you don’t know what you want, the app knows. It’s very good at figuring that out,” Morrow says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But then, he says, the app withholds that reward: “Apps don’t give it to you. They give you something close to that, and then a few clicks later, the algorithm gives you something even closer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They rarely — if ever — give you what you’re looking for. “They give just enough to keep you engaged, keep you looking at the app and interacting with it as long as possible,” he adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This teasing gives you the feeling that you’re going to get what you’re seeking soon. “So you’ll be there all day trying to get that next big thing. There’s always a \u003cem>possibility\u003c/em> you’ll finally get what you want,” Morrow says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A recipe for overuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When an app combines these four features — solitude, bottomlessness, speed and teasing — it creates a kind of recipe for overuse for nearly everyone, Schüll says. Sometimes Schüll gives her students at New York University this list of design features. “I say, ‘Pick a website or app. Then, using these criteria, rate how harmful it is.'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the recipe is especially harmful for children, she adds: “It’s a cruel setup, especially when kids are concerned. Kids are obviously more vulnerable.” Therefore, she and Morrow agree: Children need help regulating their use of these apps, but they also need protection from harmful design.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michaeleen Doucleff has a Ph.D. in chemistry and is a longtime science journalist (including previously for NPR). She is the author of the parenting book \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/06/nx-s1-5737901/dopamine-kids-parenting-screens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dopamine Kids\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Social media companies are appealing verdicts in two cases. Both cases found them liable for creating products that harm children. Researchers have spent more than a decade identifying features that compel kids to overuse apps, and those features have roots in the gambling industry. Science journalist Michaeleen Doucleff reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF: Back in the ’80s and ’90s, the casino industry gradually and purposely developed what many scientists consider the most addictive form of gambling – video slot machines played on giant video screens with an ergonomic chair attached to it. Natasha Dow Schull is a cultural anthropologist at New York University. She says some people gamble on video slot machines for extraordinary periods of time – 24 hours, 48 hours straight. Some even wear adult diapers to the casino so they don’t have to stop to use the restroom. 30 years ago, Schull set out on a bold mission to figure out how these devices do this. How do they hold people so tightly on them?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NATASHA DOW SCHULL: What are the things that keep us, you know, spending more time, spending more money, draining more of us and our energy and ourselves? What might literally sort of prevent flourishing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: She spent 15 years studying the design of video slot machines and eventually identified features that, when combined together, form a sort of super glue to grip people’s attention on video slots. Then, around 2012, to her surprise, Schull started to see the same features appear on other places – video games, streaming platforms and social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: I think gambling offers a case study of what Big Tech does in a more general way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Schull identified four features that help to form that super glue. No. 1 – solitude. You use the app alone. It’s just you and the screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: This is important because it removes social cues for stopping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: No. 2 – bottomlessness. There’s seemingly endless content on these apps – endless photos, videos or comments – and it all appears or plays automatically.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: There is no natural stopping point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: So you never feel finished or satisfied. The third feature that helps grip your attention, Schull says, is speed. All this new content – the videos, the photos crop up extremely fast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: The speed can cause this sense where you feel like you kind of don’t have a sense of where you begin and the machine ends. And it really just pulls you into this flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: The final ingredient is perhaps the most important. It’s how the app selects the content for you. Jonathan Morrow is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Michigan. He says, here’s how it typically works. First, the app uses AI to determine what you want to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JONATHAN MORROW: They know what you want. They’re very good at figuring that out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: But this is key.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: They don’t give it to you. They give you something close to that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Then a few clicks later, the algorithm gives you something even closer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: Just enough to keep you engaged, keep you looking at it, keep you interacting with it as long as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: Morrow says that this teasing holds you on the app because it gives you the feeling that you’re going to get what you want soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MORROW: Because you’ll be there all day, trying to get that next big thing. Maybe it’s going to be even better. There’s always a possibility. That’s what they want.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: When an app combines these four features – solitude, bottomlessness, speed and teasing – it creates a sort of recipe for overuse for anyone. But Natasha Dow Schull says it’s especially harmful for children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SCHULL: It’s a cruel setup, especially when kids are concerned, right? Kids are obviously more vulnerable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DOUCLEFF: And so, she says, they need help regulating their use of apps, but they also need protection from this harmful design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For NPR News, I’m Michaeleen Doucleff.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The first day I returned to work after parental leave, I sat down at my desk, logged into my computer — and silently sobbed right up until my first morning meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The guilt of leaving my child, the anxiety of starting over at my job, the stress of managing both worlds at once: it was the ultimate case of the Mondays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Transitioning from “worker” to “parent” to “working parent” can be a shock to the system, says \u003ca href=\"https://cplleadership.com/about-us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Amy Beacom\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents are often “learning two new roles fast, under a lot of pressure with lack of sleep, zero guidance and zero support,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s especially the case for mothers. The United States is the only \u003ca href=\"https://bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PFL6-FInal_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>industrialized nation without federal paid leave\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, and one 2012 report found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/FMLA-2012-Technical-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>1 in 4 women\u003c/u>\u003c/a> go back to work within two weeks of having a baby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While I was one of the lucky ones — I had several months of protected, paid leave — coming back was still a struggle and a huge adjustment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So whether you’re about to return to work or already back, there are ways to set yourself up for success, Beacom says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Make work \u003cem>work\u003c/em> better for you\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Too often, returning parents assume their jobs and schedules are set in stone, so they don’t ask their managers for what they want, Beacom says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for the most part, companies “want you happy, engaged and supported,” she says — so you may be surprised by what they agree to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beacom shares a few ideas to smoothen your reentry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul class=\"rte2-style-ul\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>What does a good first day, week and month look like?\u003c/strong> If possible, make a plan and propose it to your manager before you take your leave, “ so everyone is thinking about that reentry even before you go,” says Beacom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Set a date for a brief check-in with your employer \u003c/strong>while you’re gone, so both sides can feel more confident and prepared about what’s needed for your return, says Beacom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Plan to return mid-week \u003c/strong>so you can give yourself time to quietly warm up, clear your inbox and then come back full swing the following week.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Negotiate your schedule. \u003c/strong>Maybe shifting your workday by half an hour would make a world of difference to your commute, or working East Coast hours would be a lot easier for day care pick-up and drop-off.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Your workplace will often only be as flexible as you \u003cem>ask\u003c/em> them to be, Beacom says. So find how work can work better for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Let “good” be “good enough”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Now that you’re back at work, you might notice something surprising: Your job might feel a little easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of parents report that having kids, because it introduces all these new complexities, can make them more disciplined and better at getting things done,” says brain researcher \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/profile/darby-saxbe/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Darby Saxbe\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, author of the upcoming book \u003cem>Dad Brain\u003c/em>, about the science of fatherhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean your life as a working parent will be a walk in the park. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, see when you can let “good” be “good enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My best advice to parents is lower your standards,” Saxbe says. “Don’t expect you’re going to be amazing at everything.” There are no raises for picture-perfect baby food or trophies for late-night speed-emailing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you absolutely must add more to your plate, be intentional about it, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.reshmasaujani.com/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Reshma Saujani\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, CEO of Moms First, an organization that advocates for affordable child care and paid leave. What is a need and what is just a gold star on your record? How much pressure is self-imposed, and how much is out of your control?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, cut yourself some slack. Parenting can change the brain and body to better meet the needs of caring for your little one — and research shows it can take anywhere from \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>a few months\u003c/u>\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4458\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>two years\u003c/u>\u003c/a> or more for a new parent to feel fully themselves again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Respect that this is a transformational time,” Saxbe says. “Be patient with yourself and recognize that you may not be 100% for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The digital story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and sign up for our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow us on Instagram: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>@nprlifekit\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While I was one of the lucky ones — I had several months of protected, paid leave — coming back was still a struggle and a huge adjustment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So whether you’re about to return to work or already back, there are ways to set yourself up for success, Beacom says.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Make work \u003cem>work\u003c/em> better for you\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Too often, returning parents assume their jobs and schedules are set in stone, so they don’t ask their managers for what they want, Beacom says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for the most part, companies “want you happy, engaged and supported,” she says — so you may be surprised by what they agree to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beacom shares a few ideas to smoothen your reentry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul class=\"rte2-style-ul\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>What does a good first day, week and month look like?\u003c/strong> If possible, make a plan and propose it to your manager before you take your leave, “ so everyone is thinking about that reentry even before you go,” says Beacom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Set a date for a brief check-in with your employer \u003c/strong>while you’re gone, so both sides can feel more confident and prepared about what’s needed for your return, says Beacom.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Plan to return mid-week \u003c/strong>so you can give yourself time to quietly warm up, clear your inbox and then come back full swing the following week.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Negotiate your schedule. \u003c/strong>Maybe shifting your workday by half an hour would make a world of difference to your commute, or working East Coast hours would be a lot easier for day care pick-up and drop-off.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Your workplace will often only be as flexible as you \u003cem>ask\u003c/em> them to be, Beacom says. So find how work can work better for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Let “good” be “good enough”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Now that you’re back at work, you might notice something surprising: Your job might feel a little easier.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of parents report that having kids, because it introduces all these new complexities, can make them more disciplined and better at getting things done,” says brain researcher \u003ca href=\"https://dornsife.usc.edu/profile/darby-saxbe/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Darby Saxbe\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, author of the upcoming book \u003cem>Dad Brain\u003c/em>, about the science of fatherhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That doesn’t mean your life as a working parent will be a walk in the park. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, see when you can let “good” be “good enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My best advice to parents is lower your standards,” Saxbe says. “Don’t expect you’re going to be amazing at everything.” There are no raises for picture-perfect baby food or trophies for late-night speed-emailing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you absolutely must add more to your plate, be intentional about it, says \u003ca href=\"https://www.reshmasaujani.com/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>Reshma Saujani\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, CEO of Moms First, an organization that advocates for affordable child care and paid leave. What is a need and what is just a gold star on your record? How much pressure is self-imposed, and how much is out of your control?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, cut yourself some slack. Parenting can change the brain and body to better meet the needs of caring for your little one — and research shows it can take anywhere from \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>a few months\u003c/u>\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4458\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cu>two years\u003c/u>\u003c/a> or more for a new parent to feel fully themselves again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Respect that this is a transformational time,” Saxbe says. “Be patient with yourself and recognize that you may not be 100% for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The digital story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and sign up for our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow us on Instagram: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>@nprlifekit\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A million magnetic tiles scattered across the living room. Stuffed animals piled high in the playroom. Outgrown baby gear taking up space in the closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you live with kids, your home is bound to get messy. And the more stuff they have, the more time you have to spend organizing it and cleaning it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why psychotherapist and mom of two \u003ca href=\"https://www.simplefamilies.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denaye Barahona\u003c/a> prefers a less-is-more approach when it comes to buying and keeping kids’ clothes, toys and gear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you “pare back on the amount of clutter in your life, you can focus on the most important things,” like quality time as a family, says Barahona, author of \u003cem>Simple Happy Parenting: The Secret of Less for Calmer Parents and Happier Kids\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, there’s a positive benefit for young children. \u003ca href=\"https://www.jcfs.org/sites/default/files/Influence-of-the-number-of-toys-in-the-environment-on-toddlers.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research has shown\u003c/a> that when toddlers play in a quieter space with fewer toys, they “do more, create more and innovate more,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how do you begin the process of decluttering all your child’s things, whether it’s their beloved Pokémon card collection or handmade art? Barahona offers practical ways to organize what you have and decide what to keep or let go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🚪Create “active” and “storage” spaces to cut down on clutter: “\u003c/strong>Active” spaces are high-traffic areas of a room that should hold only things you use on a regular basis, says Barahona. An entryway closet, for example, doesn’t need to be stuffed with snow jackets in summer. Keep those in a separate storage space, like an underbed drawer, until you’re ready to rotate them back into the closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2500x3125+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2Fc9%2Fa5bc19d74649b30a349d4c8c8913%2F260408-lk-kidcluttter-flowchart.jpg\" alt=\"This handy infographic offers guidance from psychotherapist Denaye Barahona on what to keep, donate or let go. Try to be as discerning as possible, she says: 'If everything is important, then nothing is important.'\">\u003cfigcaption>This handy infographic offers guidance from psychotherapist Denaye Barahona on what to keep, donate or let go. Try to be as discerning as possible, she says: “If everything is important, then nothing is important.” \u003ccite> (Andee Tagle/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🎯 Use clear, shallow bins to help younger kids spot the toys they want. \u003c/strong>If you want your daughter to stop dumping every item she owns onto the living room floor to find that one special stuffie, this kind of storage is the way to go, says Barahona. Visible toys make for less mess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🌀 Rotate toys in and out of play spaces.\u003c/strong> It can tamp down on visual clutter and give kids more space for focusing by reducing overstimulation from excessive options. Be warned, though: Maintaining a regular toy-rotation schedule can require a fair amount of extra effort and planning by parents, Barahona says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>💗 Reframe the purpose of your family’s donation pile. \u003c/strong>You’re not losing something — you’re “sharing the love,” Barahona says. It’s just a small semantic change, but it helps her family picture an item’s future purpose. “Should this jacket spend the next 30 years in this box, or should it be on the body of another child who needs it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🚩 Beware of recluttering after decluttering.\u003c/strong> The goal of decluttering should be to live more simply, not make space for more stuff, says Barahona. Before you buy anything new — be it storage bins or toys — pause to consider your motivation: Is this a true need, a replacement or just a personal desire? If it’s the latter, try looking for alternatives that could fill that same need without accumulating more stuff. For example, could you share a new experience with your kid instead of buying them that toy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>📉 Scale back to help kids feel more responsible. \u003c/strong>If your son is constantly leaving a tornado of toys wherever he goes, he might have too many, be too young to manage them — or both, Barahona says. If he loves Pokémon cards, for example, you might have him pick his top 20 to keep in an active drawer. Move the rest into storage until he can show you he’s capable of taking care of that first set.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>📦 You don’t have to keep\u003cem> all\u003c/em> that kid art. \u003c/strong>Yes, every finger-painted picture frame is a masterpiece, but there’s only so much room for keepsakes in any family closet. In her home, Barahona has exactly \u003cem>one\u003c/em> box for storing both of her kids’ artwork. Whenever it gets full, she looks through everything to see what still holds meaning and what draws a blank.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some things in the box, I’m like, ‘What is this? Who made this?'” Barahona says. If she doesn’t know, “then I am certainly not going to remember why I saved them 30 years from now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Your turn: How do you manage your kid’s stuff?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tell us your best organization hacks (and feel free to share photos!). Email us at \u003ca href=\"mailto:lifekit@npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lifekit@npr.org\u003c/a> with the subject line “Kid stuff.” We may feature your story on \u003ca href=\"http://npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Illustrations inked and colored by NPR’s Malaka Gharib\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"mailto:LifeKit@npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>LifeKit@npr.org\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and sign up for our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow us on Instagram: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>@nprlifekit\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A million magnetic tiles scattered across the living room. Stuffed animals piled high in the playroom. Outgrown baby gear taking up space in the closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you live with kids, your home is bound to get messy. And the more stuff they have, the more time you have to spend organizing it and cleaning it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why psychotherapist and mom of two \u003ca href=\"https://www.simplefamilies.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denaye Barahona\u003c/a> prefers a less-is-more approach when it comes to buying and keeping kids’ clothes, toys and gear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you “pare back on the amount of clutter in your life, you can focus on the most important things,” like quality time as a family, says Barahona, author of \u003cem>Simple Happy Parenting: The Secret of Less for Calmer Parents and Happier Kids\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, there’s a positive benefit for young children. \u003ca href=\"https://www.jcfs.org/sites/default/files/Influence-of-the-number-of-toys-in-the-environment-on-toddlers.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research has shown\u003c/a> that when toddlers play in a quieter space with fewer toys, they “do more, create more and innovate more,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how do you begin the process of decluttering all your child’s things, whether it’s their beloved Pokémon card collection or handmade art? Barahona offers practical ways to organize what you have and decide what to keep or let go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🚪Create “active” and “storage” spaces to cut down on clutter: “\u003c/strong>Active” spaces are high-traffic areas of a room that should hold only things you use on a regular basis, says Barahona. An entryway closet, for example, doesn’t need to be stuffed with snow jackets in summer. Keep those in a separate storage space, like an underbed drawer, until you’re ready to rotate them back into the closet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2500x3125+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2Fc9%2Fa5bc19d74649b30a349d4c8c8913%2F260408-lk-kidcluttter-flowchart.jpg\" alt=\"This handy infographic offers guidance from psychotherapist Denaye Barahona on what to keep, donate or let go. Try to be as discerning as possible, she says: 'If everything is important, then nothing is important.'\">\u003cfigcaption>This handy infographic offers guidance from psychotherapist Denaye Barahona on what to keep, donate or let go. Try to be as discerning as possible, she says: “If everything is important, then nothing is important.” \u003ccite> (Andee Tagle/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🎯 Use clear, shallow bins to help younger kids spot the toys they want. \u003c/strong>If you want your daughter to stop dumping every item she owns onto the living room floor to find that one special stuffie, this kind of storage is the way to go, says Barahona. Visible toys make for less mess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🌀 Rotate toys in and out of play spaces.\u003c/strong> It can tamp down on visual clutter and give kids more space for focusing by reducing overstimulation from excessive options. Be warned, though: Maintaining a regular toy-rotation schedule can require a fair amount of extra effort and planning by parents, Barahona says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>💗 Reframe the purpose of your family’s donation pile. \u003c/strong>You’re not losing something — you’re “sharing the love,” Barahona says. It’s just a small semantic change, but it helps her family picture an item’s future purpose. “Should this jacket spend the next 30 years in this box, or should it be on the body of another child who needs it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>🚩 Beware of recluttering after decluttering.\u003c/strong> The goal of decluttering should be to live more simply, not make space for more stuff, says Barahona. Before you buy anything new — be it storage bins or toys — pause to consider your motivation: Is this a true need, a replacement or just a personal desire? If it’s the latter, try looking for alternatives that could fill that same need without accumulating more stuff. For example, could you share a new experience with your kid instead of buying them that toy?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>📉 Scale back to help kids feel more responsible. \u003c/strong>If your son is constantly leaving a tornado of toys wherever he goes, he might have too many, be too young to manage them — or both, Barahona says. If he loves Pokémon cards, for example, you might have him pick his top 20 to keep in an active drawer. Move the rest into storage until he can show you he’s capable of taking care of that first set.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>📦 You don’t have to keep\u003cem> all\u003c/em> that kid art. \u003c/strong>Yes, every finger-painted picture frame is a masterpiece, but there’s only so much room for keepsakes in any family closet. In her home, Barahona has exactly \u003cem>one\u003c/em> box for storing both of her kids’ artwork. Whenever it gets full, she looks through everything to see what still holds meaning and what draws a blank.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some things in the box, I’m like, ‘What is this? Who made this?'” Barahona says. If she doesn’t know, “then I am certainly not going to remember why I saved them 30 years from now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Your turn: How do you manage your kid’s stuff?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Tell us your best organization hacks (and feel free to share photos!). Email us at \u003ca href=\"mailto:lifekit@npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lifekit@npr.org\u003c/a> with the subject line “Kid stuff.” We may feature your story on \u003ca href=\"http://npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Illustrations inked and colored by NPR’s Malaka Gharib\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"mailto:LifeKit@npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>LifeKit@npr.org\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Life Kit on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3LdRb0X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3K3xVln\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, and sign up for our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xN1tB9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Follow us on Instagram: \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>@nprlifekit\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Increasingly, teens and adults are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for companionship and emotional support, \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42411-001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent studies\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">surveys \u003c/a>show. And so, mental health care providers should inquire if and how their patients are using this technology, just like they seek information on sleep, diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2847068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to a new paper\u003c/a> out in \u003cem>JAMA Psychiatry\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not saying that AI use is good or bad,” says \u003ca href=\"https://socialwork.nyu.edu/faculty-and-research/our-faculty/shaddy-saba.html?challenge=d06e90d7-4d8f-4b88-9d8c-10b73beb60f1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shaddy Saba\u003c/a>, an assistant professor at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, “just like we wouldn’t say substance use is necessarily good or bad, [or] consulting with a friend about something is good or bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, learning about a person’s use of AI for emotional support and advice could provide valuable insight into someone’s life and mental health status, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our job is to understand why people are behaving as they are — in this case, why they are seeking help from an AI system,” adds Saba. “And to learn about what it’s doing for them, what it’s not doing for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saba and his co-author’s recommendations are “very aligned” with recommendations by the American Psychological Association (APA) in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-chatbots-wellness-apps-mental-health.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health advisory released in November\u003c/a> of last year, says the APA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.drvailewright.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vaile Wright\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asking what a patient is getting out of their conversations with an AI chatbot sets “a foundation for the therapist to better know how they are trying to navigate their emotional wellbeing and their mental illness,” says Wright.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>“Treasure trove of information”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“People are using these tools on a regular basis to ask about how to cope with stressful experiences, personal relationship challenges,” explains Saba.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some are using chatbots for advice on how to cope with symptoms of anxiety and depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To the extent that we can prompt our clients to bring these conversations, in increasing detail, even into the therapy room, I think there’s potentially a treasure trove of information,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could be information about the main causes of stress in someone’s life, or if they are turning to a chatbot as a way to avoid confrontations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s say, for example, you have a client who is having relationship issues with their spouse,” says the APA’s Wright. “And instead of trying to have open conversations with their spouse about how to get their needs met, they’re instead going to the chatbot to either fill those needs or to avoid having these difficult conversations with their spouse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That background will help a therapist better support the patient, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Helping them understand how to have a safe conversation with their spouse, helping them understand the limitations of AI as a tool for filling those gaps in those needs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Discussing use of AI is also a chance to learn about things a client might not voluntarily share with a therapist, says psychiatrist \u003ca href=\"https://www.thomasinselmd.com/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Tom Insel\u003c/a>, former director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nimh.nih.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institute of Mental Health\u003c/a>. “People often use the chatbots to talk about things that they can’t talk about with other people because they’re so worried about being judged,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, suicidal thoughts may be something a patient is reluctant to share with their therapist, but that is critical for the therapist to know to keep the patient safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be curious, but don’t judge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to first broaching the subject with patients, Saba suggests doing it without any judgment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to make clients feel like we’re judging them,” he says. “They’re just not going to want to work with us in general if we do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recommends therapists approach the topic with genuine curiosity, and offers suggested language for these conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘You know, AI is something that’s kind of rapidly growing, and I’m hearing from a lot of people that they’re using things like ChatGPT for emotional support,” he suggests. “‘Is that the case for you? Have you tried that?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also recommends asking specific questions about what they found helpful so they can better understand how a patient is using these tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could also help a therapist figure out whether a chatbot can complement therapy in helpful ways, says Insel, such as to vet which topics to bring to their sessions or to vent about day-to-day life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a way, therapy and chatbots “could be aligned to work together,” says Insel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saba and his co-author, William Weeks, also suggest asking patients if they found any chatbot interactions unhelpful or problematic, and also offering to share risks of using chatbots for emotional support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, the risks to data privacy, because many AI companies \u003ca href=\"https://hai.stanford.edu/news/be-careful-what-you-tell-your-ai-chatbot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">use the conversations — even sensitive ones — to further train their models\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also risks of treating a chatbot like a therapist, says Insel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talking with a chatbot about one’s mental health is “the opposite of therapy,” he says, because chatbots are designed to affirm and flatter, reinforcing users’ thoughts and feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Therapy is there to help you change and to challenge you,” says Insel, “and to get you to talk about things that are particularly difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Adopting the advice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Psychologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.childpsychologysolutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cami Winkelspecht\u003c/a> has a private practice working primarily with children and adolescents in Wilmington, Del.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has been considering adding questions about social media and AI use to her intake form and appreciated Saba’s study as it offered some sample questions to include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3500x2333+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffa%2Fb0%2Fa25ed5cc45429d44c18de99ecba5%2Fap25217544822086.jpg\" alt=\"ChatGPT's landing page on a computer screen.\">\u003cfigcaption>ChatGPT’s landing page on a computer screen. \u003ccite> (Kiichiro Sato | AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over the past year or so, Winkelspecht has had a growing number of clients and their parents ask her for help with using AI for brainstorming and other tasks in ways that don’t break a school’s honor code. So, she’s had to familiarize herself with the technology to be able to support her clients. Along the way, she’s come to realize that therapists and kids’ parents need to be more aware of how children and teens are using their digital devices — both social media and AI chatbots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t necessarily think about what they’re doing with their phones quite as much,” says Winkelspecht. “And I think it’s pretty clear that we need to be doing that more and encouraging ourselves to have that conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent studies suggest that many Americans with mental health conditions now turn to AI chatbots for mental health advice. Now a new paper in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that therapists should regularly ask patients about their use of AI for emotional support, just like they seek information about sleep, exercise and how much you drink. NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: These days, when people feel stressed or anxious, many reach for an AI chatbot like ChatGPT. It’s at their fingertips and easy. Study author Shaddy Saba is an assistant professor at New York University Silver School of Social Work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SHADDY SABA: You know, people who are using these tools on a regular basis to ask about stressful experiences and how to cope with stressful experiences, personal relationship challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: For example, anticipating a tough conversation with a boss or a friend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: How do I approach it? Do I say this? Do I say that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: People also vent to chatbots and ask for ways to cope with anxiety and depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: If they’re doing a back and forth with a chatbot about these things, they might be picking up on ideas of what might be helpful for them. They might also be, you know, exposed to ideas that might be less helpful for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: That’s why Saba and his coauthors suggest mental health providers ask clients about their use of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: The extent that we can prompt our clients to bring these conversations, you know, in increasing detail even, into the therapy room, I think there’s potentially kind of a treasure trove of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Information about the main causes of stress in someone’s life, or whether they’re turning to a chatbot to avoid confrontations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VAILE WRIGHT: Let’s say, for example, you have a client who is having relationship issues with their spouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Psychologist Vaile Wright is with the American Psychological Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: And instead of trying to have open conversations with their spouse about how to get their needs met, they’re instead going to the chatbot to either fill those needs or to avoid having these difficult conversations with their spouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Wright says understanding this background will help a therapist better support the patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: So helping them understand how to have a safe conversation with their spouse, helping them understand the limitations of the AI as a tool for filling those gaps and those needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Talking about AI use can also help therapists learn about things that their patient might not voluntarily share with them. Psychiatrist Tom Insel is former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TOM INSEL: People often use the chatbots to talk about things that they can’t talk about with other people ’cause they’re so worried about being judged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: For example, if they are having thoughts of suicide – he says discussing AI use also allows mental health providers to educate patients about the risks of using a chatbot like a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>INSEL: Because it’s the opposite of therapy in so many ways, you know, they’re affirming. They may even be sycophantic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Which only reinforces a user’s thoughts and feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>INSEL: Therapy is there to help you change and to challenge you and to get you to talk about things that are particularly difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: And helping people understand this can itself be transformative for their mental health in the long run. Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Increasingly, teens and adults are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for companionship and emotional support, \u003ca href=\"https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-42411-001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent studies\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">surveys \u003c/a>show. And so, mental health care providers should inquire if and how their patients are using this technology, just like they seek information on sleep, diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2847068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to a new paper\u003c/a> out in \u003cem>JAMA Psychiatry\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re not saying that AI use is good or bad,” says \u003ca href=\"https://socialwork.nyu.edu/faculty-and-research/our-faculty/shaddy-saba.html?challenge=d06e90d7-4d8f-4b88-9d8c-10b73beb60f1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shaddy Saba\u003c/a>, an assistant professor at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, “just like we wouldn’t say substance use is necessarily good or bad, [or] consulting with a friend about something is good or bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, learning about a person’s use of AI for emotional support and advice could provide valuable insight into someone’s life and mental health status, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our job is to understand why people are behaving as they are — in this case, why they are seeking help from an AI system,” adds Saba. “And to learn about what it’s doing for them, what it’s not doing for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saba and his co-author’s recommendations are “very aligned” with recommendations by the American Psychological Association (APA) in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-chatbots-wellness-apps-mental-health.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health advisory released in November\u003c/a> of last year, says the APA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.drvailewright.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vaile Wright\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asking what a patient is getting out of their conversations with an AI chatbot sets “a foundation for the therapist to better know how they are trying to navigate their emotional wellbeing and their mental illness,” says Wright.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>“Treasure trove of information”\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“People are using these tools on a regular basis to ask about how to cope with stressful experiences, personal relationship challenges,” explains Saba.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And some are using chatbots for advice on how to cope with symptoms of anxiety and depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To the extent that we can prompt our clients to bring these conversations, in increasing detail, even into the therapy room, I think there’s potentially a treasure trove of information,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could be information about the main causes of stress in someone’s life, or if they are turning to a chatbot as a way to avoid confrontations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Let’s say, for example, you have a client who is having relationship issues with their spouse,” says the APA’s Wright. “And instead of trying to have open conversations with their spouse about how to get their needs met, they’re instead going to the chatbot to either fill those needs or to avoid having these difficult conversations with their spouse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That background will help a therapist better support the patient, she explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Helping them understand how to have a safe conversation with their spouse, helping them understand the limitations of AI as a tool for filling those gaps in those needs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Discussing use of AI is also a chance to learn about things a client might not voluntarily share with a therapist, says psychiatrist \u003ca href=\"https://www.thomasinselmd.com/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Tom Insel\u003c/a>, former director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nimh.nih.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institute of Mental Health\u003c/a>. “People often use the chatbots to talk about things that they can’t talk about with other people because they’re so worried about being judged,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, suicidal thoughts may be something a patient is reluctant to share with their therapist, but that is critical for the therapist to know to keep the patient safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be curious, but don’t judge\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When it comes to first broaching the subject with patients, Saba suggests doing it without any judgment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t want to make clients feel like we’re judging them,” he says. “They’re just not going to want to work with us in general if we do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He recommends therapists approach the topic with genuine curiosity, and offers suggested language for these conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“‘You know, AI is something that’s kind of rapidly growing, and I’m hearing from a lot of people that they’re using things like ChatGPT for emotional support,” he suggests. “‘Is that the case for you? Have you tried that?'”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also recommends asking specific questions about what they found helpful so they can better understand how a patient is using these tools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could also help a therapist figure out whether a chatbot can complement therapy in helpful ways, says Insel, such as to vet which topics to bring to their sessions or to vent about day-to-day life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a way, therapy and chatbots “could be aligned to work together,” says Insel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saba and his co-author, William Weeks, also suggest asking patients if they found any chatbot interactions unhelpful or problematic, and also offering to share risks of using chatbots for emotional support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, the risks to data privacy, because many AI companies \u003ca href=\"https://hai.stanford.edu/news/be-careful-what-you-tell-your-ai-chatbot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">use the conversations — even sensitive ones — to further train their models\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also risks of treating a chatbot like a therapist, says Insel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talking with a chatbot about one’s mental health is “the opposite of therapy,” he says, because chatbots are designed to affirm and flatter, reinforcing users’ thoughts and feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Therapy is there to help you change and to challenge you,” says Insel, “and to get you to talk about things that are particularly difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Adopting the advice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Psychologist \u003ca href=\"https://www.childpsychologysolutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cami Winkelspecht\u003c/a> has a private practice working primarily with children and adolescents in Wilmington, Del.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has been considering adding questions about social media and AI use to her intake form and appreciated Saba’s study as it offered some sample questions to include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3500x2333+0+0/resize/1200/quality/75/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffa%2Fb0%2Fa25ed5cc45429d44c18de99ecba5%2Fap25217544822086.jpg\" alt=\"ChatGPT's landing page on a computer screen.\">\u003cfigcaption>ChatGPT’s landing page on a computer screen. \u003ccite> (Kiichiro Sato | AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over the past year or so, Winkelspecht has had a growing number of clients and their parents ask her for help with using AI for brainstorming and other tasks in ways that don’t break a school’s honor code. So, she’s had to familiarize herself with the technology to be able to support her clients. Along the way, she’s come to realize that therapists and kids’ parents need to be more aware of how children and teens are using their digital devices — both social media and AI chatbots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t necessarily think about what they’re doing with their phones quite as much,” says Winkelspecht. “And I think it’s pretty clear that we need to be doing that more and encouraging ourselves to have that conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent studies suggest that many Americans with mental health conditions now turn to AI chatbots for mental health advice. Now a new paper in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that therapists should regularly ask patients about their use of AI for emotional support, just like they seek information about sleep, exercise and how much you drink. NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: These days, when people feel stressed or anxious, many reach for an AI chatbot like ChatGPT. It’s at their fingertips and easy. Study author Shaddy Saba is an assistant professor at New York University Silver School of Social Work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SHADDY SABA: You know, people who are using these tools on a regular basis to ask about stressful experiences and how to cope with stressful experiences, personal relationship challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: For example, anticipating a tough conversation with a boss or a friend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: How do I approach it? Do I say this? Do I say that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: People also vent to chatbots and ask for ways to cope with anxiety and depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: If they’re doing a back and forth with a chatbot about these things, they might be picking up on ideas of what might be helpful for them. They might also be, you know, exposed to ideas that might be less helpful for them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: That’s why Saba and his coauthors suggest mental health providers ask clients about their use of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SABA: The extent that we can prompt our clients to bring these conversations, you know, in increasing detail even, into the therapy room, I think there’s potentially kind of a treasure trove of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Information about the main causes of stress in someone’s life, or whether they’re turning to a chatbot to avoid confrontations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>VAILE WRIGHT: Let’s say, for example, you have a client who is having relationship issues with their spouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Psychologist Vaile Wright is with the American Psychological Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: And instead of trying to have open conversations with their spouse about how to get their needs met, they’re instead going to the chatbot to either fill those needs or to avoid having these difficult conversations with their spouse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Wright says understanding this background will help a therapist better support the patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WRIGHT: So helping them understand how to have a safe conversation with their spouse, helping them understand the limitations of the AI as a tool for filling those gaps and those needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Talking about AI use can also help therapists learn about things that their patient might not voluntarily share with them. Psychiatrist Tom Insel is former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>TOM INSEL: People often use the chatbots to talk about things that they can’t talk about with other people ’cause they’re so worried about being judged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: For example, if they are having thoughts of suicide – he says discussing AI use also allows mental health providers to educate patients about the risks of using a chatbot like a therapist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>INSEL: Because it’s the opposite of therapy in so many ways, you know, they’re affirming. They may even be sycophantic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: Which only reinforces a user’s thoughts and feelings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>INSEL: Therapy is there to help you change and to challenge you and to get you to talk about things that are particularly difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CHATTERJEE: And helping people understand this can itself be transformative for their mental health in the long run. Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Randy Porter has been teaching music in the Oakland Unified School District for 40 years, but he never set out to become a music teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he was younger, he had his sights set on a professional music career as a guitarist. Then in the 1980s, he landed a long-term substitute teaching role in two very different schools within the same district: Hillcrest, which is in an affluent neighborhood in the Oakland Hills, and Whittier in East Oakland, which was an epicenter of the crack cocaine epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stark disparity between the two schools challenged Porter’s perception of his own impact on the students who weren’t receiving the education they deserved. So, he decided to continue on with his teaching career and eventually landed permanent teaching positions throughout the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66246\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66246\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of students\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Randy Porter and a group of students at Cazadero Music Camp from in 2019 hangs on the wall in Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These days at Roosevelt Middle School, his classroom stands out. When most middle schoolers are learning the classics, Porter’s students dive deep into the world of jazz, even going so far as to play avant-garde compositions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only middle school band in the Local Supercluster, as far as I know, certainly in the Milky Way galaxy, that specializes in the music of Sun Ra,” said Porter. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and band leader, known for his experimental music style and cosmic philosophy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porter truly believes in the musical ability of kids of all ages. When he was Berkeley Symphony’s director of music education, he would have the orchestra perform pieces composed by 5-year-olds. And in years past, he’s created opportunities for his elementary and middle school students to record their own albums – something that he’s doing for his current middle school students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66244\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of newspaper clipping on a wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">News clippings of Randy Porter from 1994 hang on the wall in Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Porter’s the type of teacher who provides a safe space for his students to practice, hang out and have a snack after school. But this is Mr. Porter’s last year teaching because he is retiring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At this juncture, the future of music classes in Oakland public schools is uncertain because of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">looming budget cuts\u003c/a> across the district. Porter does not want arts education to fall to the wayside so he started a \u003ca href=\"https://ebayc.liveimpact.org/fundraiser/li/7632/D/200582\">fundraiser for Roosevelt’s music program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66247\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66247\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds repaired cello\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Randy Porter sets up a cello that he repaired with Gorilla Glue in his classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“[The arts] is an absolutely essential part of a kid’s development. Music, art, PE, manipulating things with your hands – this is how kids learn,” he said. “It’s how a lot of people learn. And when you take them away, a certain portion of the population gets a little bit left behind,” Porter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many benefits for students who study and play music. Research conducted by the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute found that \u003ca href=\"https://today.usc.edu/childrens-brains-develop-faster-with-music-training/\">learning music enhances auditory pathways in the brain\u003c/a>, which could help with other learning systems affected by these neural pathways like reading and language. In 2022, policy caught up with science when California voters passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934191/what-prop-28-funding-will-mean-for-arts-education-in-california\">Proposition 28\u003c/a>, requiring the state to provide additional funding for music and arts programs for public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For students like seventh grader Diego, Porter’s band class wasn’t a natural choice when he entered middle school. “It was so weird,” Diego said of jazz music. “I was like, ‘will people actually wanna listen to this?’ I didn’t even want to play it at first.” But, he marched forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hesitated and then I just stuck with it,” he said. “I like that there’s so many possibilities and different combinations so that you can make any different one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another of Porter’s seventh grade students, Imani, who plays guitar, became interested in playing Sun Ra’s music in band class. “All the parts are so different and they all come together into chaotic bliss,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66245\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Student holding guitar\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Imani plays the guitar in Randy Porter’s music class at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of Porter’s former students have gone on to new heights, like 10th grade student Ryan, who comes back to Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt every Thursday to mentor middle schoolers. When Ryan arrived in Porter’s classroom about five years ago, he had experience playing violin and had picked up the cello. But Porter’s jazz-filled band class presented something new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just felt exciting to be in the music class…that’s when I started to think, ‘wait, I need to switch to an instrument that’s more suitable for jazz,’” said Ryan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, at the suggestion of Porter, Ryan picked up his third instrument – the trombone. “It really opened up a new world for me,” said Ryan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he plays a total of fifteen instruments, is a member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Band, and has played in a youth orchestra for three years, all at the encouragement of Porter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Middle school students are in an age group that is notorious in schools and among teachers for their unpredictability, high energy, and increased social awareness. But if you can tap into their interests, the potential for growth is what Porter finds most exciting about this age group, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66248\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man holding bass instrument\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Randy Porter tests an upright bass before the start of classes at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He plans on being an active member of the local music education community in his retirement, but the students are what he’ll miss most. “I wanna be helpful. I wanna mentor teachers. I want to do what I can just to see things continue to be successful,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’ll also take time to tap back into the professional music world. This summer you can find Porter playing at one of his annual \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.chapelofthechimes.com/about-us/news-and-events/event-detail/58006-oakland-annual-solstice-concert\">gigs\u003c/a>, Chapel of the Chimes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC6654357560\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Randy Porter has been teaching music in the Oakland Unified School District for 40 years, but he never set out to become a music teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he was younger, he had his sights set on a professional music career as a guitarist. Then in the 1980s, he landed a long-term substitute teaching role in two very different schools within the same district: Hillcrest, which is in an affluent neighborhood in the Oakland Hills, and Whittier in East Oakland, which was an epicenter of the crack cocaine epidemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The stark disparity between the two schools challenged Porter’s perception of his own impact on the students who weren’t receiving the education they deserved. So, he decided to continue on with his teaching career and eventually landed permanent teaching positions throughout the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66246\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66246\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of students\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Randy Porter and a group of students at Cazadero Music Camp from in 2019 hangs on the wall in Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These days at Roosevelt Middle School, his classroom stands out. When most middle schoolers are learning the classics, Porter’s students dive deep into the world of jazz, even going so far as to play avant-garde compositions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the only middle school band in the Local Supercluster, as far as I know, certainly in the Milky Way galaxy, that specializes in the music of Sun Ra,” said Porter. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and band leader, known for his experimental music style and cosmic philosophy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Porter truly believes in the musical ability of kids of all ages. When he was Berkeley Symphony’s director of music education, he would have the orchestra perform pieces composed by 5-year-olds. And in years past, he’s created opportunities for his elementary and middle school students to record their own albums – something that he’s doing for his current middle school students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66244\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66244\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of newspaper clipping on a wall.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">News clippings of Randy Porter from 1994 hang on the wall in Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Porter’s the type of teacher who provides a safe space for his students to practice, hang out and have a snack after school. But this is Mr. Porter’s last year teaching because he is retiring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At this juncture, the future of music classes in Oakland public schools is uncertain because of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">looming budget cuts\u003c/a> across the district. Porter does not want arts education to fall to the wayside so he started a \u003ca href=\"https://ebayc.liveimpact.org/fundraiser/li/7632/D/200582\">fundraiser for Roosevelt’s music program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66247\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66247\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds repaired cello\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Randy Porter sets up a cello that he repaired with Gorilla Glue in his classroom at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“[The arts] is an absolutely essential part of a kid’s development. Music, art, PE, manipulating things with your hands – this is how kids learn,” he said. “It’s how a lot of people learn. And when you take them away, a certain portion of the population gets a little bit left behind,” Porter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are many benefits for students who study and play music. Research conducted by the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute found that \u003ca href=\"https://today.usc.edu/childrens-brains-develop-faster-with-music-training/\">learning music enhances auditory pathways in the brain\u003c/a>, which could help with other learning systems affected by these neural pathways like reading and language. In 2022, policy caught up with science when California voters passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934191/what-prop-28-funding-will-mean-for-arts-education-in-california\">Proposition 28\u003c/a>, requiring the state to provide additional funding for music and arts programs for public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For students like seventh grader Diego, Porter’s band class wasn’t a natural choice when he entered middle school. “It was so weird,” Diego said of jazz music. “I was like, ‘will people actually wanna listen to this?’ I didn’t even want to play it at first.” But, he marched forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hesitated and then I just stuck with it,” he said. “I like that there’s so many possibilities and different combinations so that you can make any different one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another of Porter’s seventh grade students, Imani, who plays guitar, became interested in playing Sun Ra’s music in band class. “All the parts are so different and they all come together into chaotic bliss,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66245\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Student holding guitar\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Imani plays the guitar in Randy Porter’s music class at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some of Porter’s former students have gone on to new heights, like 10th grade student Ryan, who comes back to Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt every Thursday to mentor middle schoolers. When Ryan arrived in Porter’s classroom about five years ago, he had experience playing violin and had picked up the cello. But Porter’s jazz-filled band class presented something new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just felt exciting to be in the music class…that’s when I started to think, ‘wait, I need to switch to an instrument that’s more suitable for jazz,’” said Ryan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, at the suggestion of Porter, Ryan picked up his third instrument – the trombone. “It really opened up a new world for me,” said Ryan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, he plays a total of fifteen instruments, is a member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Band, and has played in a youth orchestra for three years, all at the encouragement of Porter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Middle school students are in an age group that is notorious in schools and among teachers for their unpredictability, high energy, and increased social awareness. But if you can tap into their interests, the potential for growth is what Porter finds most exciting about this age group, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66248\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"Man holding bass instrument\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/260313-RANDY-PORTER-RETIRES-MD-03_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Randy Porter tests an upright bass before the start of classes at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland on March 14, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He plans on being an active member of the local music education community in his retirement, but the students are what he’ll miss most. “I wanna be helpful. I wanna mentor teachers. I want to do what I can just to see things continue to be successful,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he’ll also take time to tap back into the professional music world. This summer you can find Porter playing at one of his annual \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.chapelofthechimes.com/about-us/news-and-events/event-detail/58006-oakland-annual-solstice-concert\">gigs\u003c/a>, Chapel of the Chimes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s easy to get swept up in the hype about artificial intelligence tutors. But the evidence so far suggests caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some studies have found that chatbot tutors can \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2422633122\">backfire\u003c/a> because students \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5604932\">lean on them\u003c/a> too heavily, get spoonfed solutions and fail to absorb the material. Even when AI tutors are designed not to give away answers, they haven’t consistently produced better results than learning the old-fashioned way without AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, researchers who have produced these skeptical studies haven’t given up hope. Some are still experimenting, trying to build better AI tutors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One promising idea has less to do with how an AI tutor explains concepts and more with what it asks students to practice next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A team at the University of Pennsylvania, which included some AI skeptics, recently tested this approach in a \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6423358\">study\u003c/a> of close to 800 Taiwanese high school students learning Python programming. All the students used the same AI tutor, which was designed not to give away answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there was one key difference. Half the students were randomly assigned to a fixed sequence of practice problems, progressing from easy to hard. The other half received a personalized sequence with the AI tutor continuously adjusting the difficulty of each problem based on how the student was performing and interacting with the chatbot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is based on what educators call the “zone of proximal development.” When problems are too easy, students get bored. When they’re too hard, students get frustrated. The goal is to keep students in a sweet spot: challenged, but not overwhelmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers found that students in the personalized group did better on a final exam than students in the fixed problem group. The difference was characterized as the equivalent of 6 to 9 months of additional schooling, an eye-catching claim for an after-school online course that lasted only five months. The AI tutor’s inventor, Angel Chung, a doctoral student at the Wharton School, acknowledged that her conversion of statistical units was “not a perfect estimate.” (A \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6423358\">draft paper\u003c/a> about the experiment was posted online in March 2026, but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, this is early evidence that small tweaks — in this case, calibrating the difficulty of the practice problems to the student — can make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chung said that ChatGPT’s responses may already feel very personal because they are directly responding to a student’s unique questions. But that level of personalization isn’t enough. “Students usually don’t know what they don’t know,” said Chung. “The student doesn’t have the ability to ask the right questions to get the best tutoring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To address this, Chung’s team combined a large language model with a separate machine-learning algorithm that analyzes how students interact with the online course platform — how they answer the practice questions, how many times they revise or edit their coding, and the quality of their conversations with the chatbot — and uses that information to decide which problem to serve up next.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How different students interact with the chatbot tutor\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66238\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 780px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66238\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1.png\" alt=\"List of chatbot prompts\" width=\"780\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1.png 780w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1-160x86.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1-768x412.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Chung et al, Effective Personalized AI Tutors via LLM-Guided Reinforcement Learning, March 2026\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In other words, personalization isn’t just about tailoring explanations. It’s about tailoring the learning path itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That idea isn’t new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long before generative AI tools like ChatGPT were invented, education researchers developed “intelligent tutoring systems” that tried to do something similar: estimate what a student knew and deliver the right next problem. These earlier systems couldn’t produce natural conversations, but they could provide hints and instant feedback. Rigorous studies found that well-designed versions helped students learn significantly more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their Achilles’ heel was engagement. Many students simply didn’t want to use them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today’s AI tools could help address that problem. Students might feel more interested in a chatbot that converses with them in an almost human way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the University of Pennsylvania study, students in the personalized group spent more time practicing, about three additional minutes per problem, adding up to about an hour per module in the Python course, compared with half as much time (a half hour or less) for the comparison students. The researchers think these students did better because they were more engaged in their practice work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students’ previous knowledge of a subject affected how well the personalized sequencing worked. Students who were new to Python gained more than those who already had Python experience, who did just as well with the fixed sequence of practice problems. Students from less elite high schools also appeared to benefit more.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How students’ background affected results\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66239\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 780px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2.png\" alt=\"Chart showing skill vs. prior experience\" width=\"780\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2.png 780w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2-160x103.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2-768x492.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">All students had access to the same AI tutor. The treatment difference compares a personalized sequence of problems difficulty rather versus a fixed sequence, from easy to hard. Source: Chung et al, Effective Personalized AI Tutors via LLM-Guided Reinforcement Learning, March 2026\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All the Taiwanese students in this study volunteered for an optional computer programming course that could strengthen their college applications. Many were highly motivated, with highly educated parents, and many already had prior coding experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not clear whether the chatbot would work as well with less motivated students who are behind at school and most in need of extra help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One possible solution: fusing new and old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ken Koedinger, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a pioneer of intelligent tutoring systems, is experimenting with using \u003ca href=\"https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3698205.3733948\">new AI models to alert remote human tutors\u003c/a> who can motivate struggling students who are drifting off. “We are having more success,” said Koedinger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Humans aren’t obsolete — yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story about \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-ai-tutor-python/\">\u003cem>AI tutors\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/special-reports/higher-education/\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers education. Sign up for \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cem>Proof Points\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and other \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cem>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s easy to get swept up in the hype about artificial intelligence tutors. But the evidence so far suggests caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some studies have found that chatbot tutors can \u003ca href=\"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2422633122\">backfire\u003c/a> because students \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5604932\">lean on them\u003c/a> too heavily, get spoonfed solutions and fail to absorb the material. Even when AI tutors are designed not to give away answers, they haven’t consistently produced better results than learning the old-fashioned way without AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, researchers who have produced these skeptical studies haven’t given up hope. Some are still experimenting, trying to build better AI tutors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One promising idea has less to do with how an AI tutor explains concepts and more with what it asks students to practice next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A team at the University of Pennsylvania, which included some AI skeptics, recently tested this approach in a \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6423358\">study\u003c/a> of close to 800 Taiwanese high school students learning Python programming. All the students used the same AI tutor, which was designed not to give away answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there was one key difference. Half the students were randomly assigned to a fixed sequence of practice problems, progressing from easy to hard. The other half received a personalized sequence with the AI tutor continuously adjusting the difficulty of each problem based on how the student was performing and interacting with the chatbot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The idea is based on what educators call the “zone of proximal development.” When problems are too easy, students get bored. When they’re too hard, students get frustrated. The goal is to keep students in a sweet spot: challenged, but not overwhelmed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers found that students in the personalized group did better on a final exam than students in the fixed problem group. The difference was characterized as the equivalent of 6 to 9 months of additional schooling, an eye-catching claim for an after-school online course that lasted only five months. The AI tutor’s inventor, Angel Chung, a doctoral student at the Wharton School, acknowledged that her conversion of statistical units was “not a perfect estimate.” (A \u003ca href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6423358\">draft paper\u003c/a> about the experiment was posted online in March 2026, but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, this is early evidence that small tweaks — in this case, calibrating the difficulty of the practice problems to the student — can make a difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chung said that ChatGPT’s responses may already feel very personal because they are directly responding to a student’s unique questions. But that level of personalization isn’t enough. “Students usually don’t know what they don’t know,” said Chung. “The student doesn’t have the ability to ask the right questions to get the best tutoring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To address this, Chung’s team combined a large language model with a separate machine-learning algorithm that analyzes how students interact with the online course platform — how they answer the practice questions, how many times they revise or edit their coding, and the quality of their conversations with the chatbot — and uses that information to decide which problem to serve up next.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How different students interact with the chatbot tutor\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66238\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 780px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66238\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1.png\" alt=\"List of chatbot prompts\" width=\"780\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1.png 780w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1-160x86.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-1-768x412.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Chung et al, Effective Personalized AI Tutors via LLM-Guided Reinforcement Learning, March 2026\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In other words, personalization isn’t just about tailoring explanations. It’s about tailoring the learning path itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That idea isn’t new.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long before generative AI tools like ChatGPT were invented, education researchers developed “intelligent tutoring systems” that tried to do something similar: estimate what a student knew and deliver the right next problem. These earlier systems couldn’t produce natural conversations, but they could provide hints and instant feedback. Rigorous studies found that well-designed versions helped students learn significantly more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their Achilles’ heel was engagement. Many students simply didn’t want to use them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today’s AI tools could help address that problem. Students might feel more interested in a chatbot that converses with them in an almost human way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the University of Pennsylvania study, students in the personalized group spent more time practicing, about three additional minutes per problem, adding up to about an hour per module in the Python course, compared with half as much time (a half hour or less) for the comparison students. The researchers think these students did better because they were more engaged in their practice work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students’ previous knowledge of a subject affected how well the personalized sequencing worked. Students who were new to Python gained more than those who already had Python experience, who did just as well with the fixed sequence of practice problems. Students from less elite high schools also appeared to benefit more.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>How students’ background affected results\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_66239\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 780px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2.png\" alt=\"Chart showing skill vs. prior experience\" width=\"780\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2.png 780w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2-160x103.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2026/04/Barshay-AI-Tutor-2-768x492.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">All students had access to the same AI tutor. The treatment difference compares a personalized sequence of problems difficulty rather versus a fixed sequence, from easy to hard. Source: Chung et al, Effective Personalized AI Tutors via LLM-Guided Reinforcement Learning, March 2026\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>All the Taiwanese students in this study volunteered for an optional computer programming course that could strengthen their college applications. Many were highly motivated, with highly educated parents, and many already had prior coding experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not clear whether the chatbot would work as well with less motivated students who are behind at school and most in need of extra help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One possible solution: fusing new and old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ken Koedinger, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a pioneer of intelligent tutoring systems, is experimenting with using \u003ca href=\"https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3698205.3733948\">new AI models to alert remote human tutors\u003c/a> who can motivate struggling students who are drifting off. “We are having more success,” said Koedinger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Humans aren’t obsolete — yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story about \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-ai-tutor-python/\">\u003cem>AI tutors\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/special-reports/higher-education/\">The Hechinger Report\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers education. Sign up for \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/proofpoints/\">\u003cem>Proof Points\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and other \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/newsletters/\">\u003cem>Hechinger newsletters\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Kim Freudenberg, a longtime teacher in San Francisco, knew that raising two boys meant a lot of hard conversations. She warned them about all the usual dangers: drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, riding a bike without a helmet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Never once did I even think that I needed to say ‘gambling,'” she recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, when her oldest son was 11, he was watching someone play video games on a livestream and clicked on a link in the comments. It took him to an offshore online casino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There, he got sucked in — to blackjack, poker, roulette. He could use items from the video game as money. Soon he got hooked, but the signs of his addiction were hard to spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like he was just holed up in his room 24-7,” Freudenberg says. “He ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until he dropped out of college at age 19. That’s when his mom found out that he had been gambling for nearly half his life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d sold things from around the house to keep up with his debts, borrowed money from friends and, then, eventually, started stealing money from his parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a problem that educators, researchers and parents like Freudenberg say is affecting a growing number of young people, most of them boys. A recent national survey from Common Sense Media found that 36% of boys age 11 to 17 in the U.S. have gambled in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of kids,” says Michael Robb, the head of research at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that promotes digital safety for kids. “A third of kids is a lot of kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that playing fantasy football with friends or making a March Madness bracket may be harmless. It could, for example, help strengthen male friend groups. But for a small subset of boys, Robb adds, things can get out of control: “They’re not all going to have problems. But given how much things have changed in the last couple of years, the way [some kids] are engaging in gambling behaviors is already flashing red signs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just teens. Gambling has soared in the U.S. since a key Supreme Court ruling in 2018 allowed states to legalize sports betting. That opened the floodgates, from one state back then to 38 in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before that decision, Americans spent $4.9 billion annually on sports betting. By 2023, that figure had ballooned to $121 billion, according to \u003cem>The Journal of the American Medical Association\u003c/em> (\u003cem>JAMA\u003c/em>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And those were just the legal bets. No one under 18 can gamble legally, but experts say the opportunities are everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I wanted to bet on the [Washington] Nationals,” says Matt Missar, an addiction counselor in Pittsburgh, “20 years ago, as a teenager, I’ll go find a bookie and I’ll place a bet. Nowadays, I can bet on every single pitch of a game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the explosion in legalized gambling is happening on cellphones, Missar notes. “It is incredibly easy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He specializes in gambling and video game addictions and says the number of young adults he sees come through his practice has ticked higher in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just that the problem arose when they’re 18,” he says. “It started when they were 13 or 14 … and slowly over those years it became more of a problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Freudenberg wishes she had seen the warning signs. But often, she says, online gambling can look the same as texting a friend or watching a video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thinks removing the guardrails has created a slippery slope for kids: “If my kid had to get in a car, drive to a bank, take out money, drive to a casino, go into the casino, show an ID at the door — he probably wouldn’t be a gambling addict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a few attempts at rehab, she says, her son is back at college and doing well. Freudenberg helped start a \u003ca href=\"https://parentsstandingtogether.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">support group for parents of teen gamblers\u003c/a>, and their numbers are growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She fears that, all over the country, there are lots more parents just like her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tsunami is on the horizon,” she says. “And it’s gonna be really, really bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legalization of online gambling and sports betting in many states, and all the advertising for it, is raising fears that more young people are getting addicted. Here’s NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: Kim Freudenberg is a high school physics teacher in San Francisco. She’s also the mom of two boys, which, of course, brought the usual anxieties and fears.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KIM FREUDENBERG: Lots of discussions about drugs and alcohol and sex and social media and wearing a helmet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: She knows there are many, many ways that kids, especially boys, can find themselves in trouble before anyone even knows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: Never once did I even think that I needed to say gambling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: What she didn’t know was that one day, when her oldest son was 11, he was watching someone play video games on live stream and clicked on a link in the comments. It took him to an offshore online casino. There, he got sucked into blackjack, poker, roulette, and he could use items from the video game as money. Soon, he got hooked, but Fredenberg says no one knew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: It’s not like he was just holed up in his room 24/7. Like, he ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Quietly, her son became an addict, winning and losing money, selling things from around the house to keep up with his debts and then eventually stealing money from his parents. Her son ended up dropping out of college at 19. That’s when his mom found out that he had been gambling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: It’s so bad. And parents, I think, are so unaware of what’s happening and how potentially dangerous and life-destroying gambling can be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: It’s a problem educators, researchers and parents like her say is affecting a growing number of young people, most of them boys. In 2018, a key Supreme Court ruling allowed states to legalize sports betting, and that opened the floodgates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MATT MISSAR: I’m a Washington Nationals fan. If I want to bet on the Nationals 15, 20 years ago as a teenager, I’ll go find a bookie and I’ll place a bet. But nowadays, I can bet on every single pitch of a game – ball, strike, ball, strike. I can bet on that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: That’s Matt Missar, an addiction counselor in Pittsburgh specializing in video games and gambling. He says he’s seen a growing number of young people in his practice, even though no one under 18 can gamble legally. So I asked him – how are kids still doing it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MISSAR: It is incredibly easy. Honestly, in the time I spent answering that question, I bet someone could have downloaded three sites, signed up for them and been able to start gambling right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: A recent national survey from Common Sense Media, the nonprofit group that focuses on kids and concerns around media, found that 36% of boys aged 11 to 17 in the U.S. have gambled in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MICHAEL ROBB: It’s a lot of kids. Like, a third of kids is a lot of kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Michael Robb is Common Sense Media’s head of research. And he notes that playing fantasy football with friends or making a March Madness bracket may be harmless for kids and can help strengthen male friend groups. But for a small subset of boys, things can get out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ROBB: They’re not all going to have problems. But given how much things have changed in the last couple of years, the way that they are engaging in gambling behaviors is already flashing red signs. Like, something is wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Kim Freudenberg wishes she had seen some of those warning signs. But even for a veteran teacher, often, online gambling can look the same as texting a friend or watching a video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: If my kid had to get in a car, drive to a bank, take out money, drive to a casino, go into the casino, show an ID at the door, he probably wouldn’t be a gambling addict. He wouldn’t have been able to do all of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: After a few attempts at rehab, her son is now back at college and doing well. She helped start a support group for parents, and every week, their numbers keep growing. And she fears that all over the country, there are lots more parents just like her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: The tsunami is – it’s, like, on the horizon, and it’s going to be really, really bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Kim Freudenberg, a longtime teacher in San Francisco, knew that raising two boys meant a lot of hard conversations. She warned them about all the usual dangers: drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, riding a bike without a helmet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Never once did I even think that I needed to say ‘gambling,'” she recalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One day, when her oldest son was 11, he was watching someone play video games on a livestream and clicked on a link in the comments. It took him to an offshore online casino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There, he got sucked in — to blackjack, poker, roulette. He could use items from the video game as money. Soon he got hooked, but the signs of his addiction were hard to spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not like he was just holed up in his room 24-7,” Freudenberg says. “He ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until he dropped out of college at age 19. That’s when his mom found out that he had been gambling for nearly half his life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’d sold things from around the house to keep up with his debts, borrowed money from friends and, then, eventually, started stealing money from his parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a problem that educators, researchers and parents like Freudenberg say is affecting a growing number of young people, most of them boys. A recent national survey from Common Sense Media found that 36% of boys age 11 to 17 in the U.S. have gambled in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of kids,” says Michael Robb, the head of research at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that promotes digital safety for kids. “A third of kids is a lot of kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He notes that playing fantasy football with friends or making a March Madness bracket may be harmless. It could, for example, help strengthen male friend groups. But for a small subset of boys, Robb adds, things can get out of control: “They’re not all going to have problems. But given how much things have changed in the last couple of years, the way [some kids] are engaging in gambling behaviors is already flashing red signs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not just teens. Gambling has soared in the U.S. since a key Supreme Court ruling in 2018 allowed states to legalize sports betting. That opened the floodgates, from one state back then to 38 in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before that decision, Americans spent $4.9 billion annually on sports betting. By 2023, that figure had ballooned to $121 billion, according to \u003cem>The Journal of the American Medical Association\u003c/em> (\u003cem>JAMA\u003c/em>).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And those were just the legal bets. No one under 18 can gamble legally, but experts say the opportunities are everywhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I wanted to bet on the [Washington] Nationals,” says Matt Missar, an addiction counselor in Pittsburgh, “20 years ago, as a teenager, I’ll go find a bookie and I’ll place a bet. Nowadays, I can bet on every single pitch of a game.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of the explosion in legalized gambling is happening on cellphones, Missar notes. “It is incredibly easy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He specializes in gambling and video game addictions and says the number of young adults he sees come through his practice has ticked higher in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not just that the problem arose when they’re 18,” he says. “It started when they were 13 or 14 … and slowly over those years it became more of a problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Freudenberg wishes she had seen the warning signs. But often, she says, online gambling can look the same as texting a friend or watching a video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She thinks removing the guardrails has created a slippery slope for kids: “If my kid had to get in a car, drive to a bank, take out money, drive to a casino, go into the casino, show an ID at the door — he probably wouldn’t be a gambling addict.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a few attempts at rehab, she says, her son is back at college and doing well. Freudenberg helped start a \u003ca href=\"https://parentsstandingtogether.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">support group for parents of teen gamblers\u003c/a>, and their numbers are growing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She fears that, all over the country, there are lots more parents just like her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The tsunami is on the horizon,” she says. “And it’s gonna be really, really bad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"npr-transcript\">\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Transcript:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legalization of online gambling and sports betting in many states, and all the advertising for it, is raising fears that more young people are getting addicted. Here’s NPR’s Sequoia Carrillo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEQUOIA CARRILLO, BYLINE: Kim Freudenberg is a high school physics teacher in San Francisco. She’s also the mom of two boys, which, of course, brought the usual anxieties and fears.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KIM FREUDENBERG: Lots of discussions about drugs and alcohol and sex and social media and wearing a helmet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: She knows there are many, many ways that kids, especially boys, can find themselves in trouble before anyone even knows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: Never once did I even think that I needed to say gambling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: What she didn’t know was that one day, when her oldest son was 11, he was watching someone play video games on live stream and clicked on a link in the comments. It took him to an offshore online casino. There, he got sucked into blackjack, poker, roulette, and he could use items from the video game as money. Soon, he got hooked, but Fredenberg says no one knew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: It’s not like he was just holed up in his room 24/7. Like, he ran track. He played soccer. He was a great student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Quietly, her son became an addict, winning and losing money, selling things from around the house to keep up with his debts and then eventually stealing money from his parents. Her son ended up dropping out of college at 19. That’s when his mom found out that he had been gambling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: It’s so bad. And parents, I think, are so unaware of what’s happening and how potentially dangerous and life-destroying gambling can be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: It’s a problem educators, researchers and parents like her say is affecting a growing number of young people, most of them boys. In 2018, a key Supreme Court ruling allowed states to legalize sports betting, and that opened the floodgates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MATT MISSAR: I’m a Washington Nationals fan. If I want to bet on the Nationals 15, 20 years ago as a teenager, I’ll go find a bookie and I’ll place a bet. But nowadays, I can bet on every single pitch of a game – ball, strike, ball, strike. I can bet on that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: That’s Matt Missar, an addiction counselor in Pittsburgh specializing in video games and gambling. He says he’s seen a growing number of young people in his practice, even though no one under 18 can gamble legally. So I asked him – how are kids still doing it?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MISSAR: It is incredibly easy. Honestly, in the time I spent answering that question, I bet someone could have downloaded three sites, signed up for them and been able to start gambling right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: A recent national survey from Common Sense Media, the nonprofit group that focuses on kids and concerns around media, found that 36% of boys aged 11 to 17 in the U.S. have gambled in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MICHAEL ROBB: It’s a lot of kids. Like, a third of kids is a lot of kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Michael Robb is Common Sense Media’s head of research. And he notes that playing fantasy football with friends or making a March Madness bracket may be harmless for kids and can help strengthen male friend groups. But for a small subset of boys, things can get out of control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ROBB: They’re not all going to have problems. But given how much things have changed in the last couple of years, the way that they are engaging in gambling behaviors is already flashing red signs. Like, something is wrong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Kim Freudenberg wishes she had seen some of those warning signs. But even for a veteran teacher, often, online gambling can look the same as texting a friend or watching a video.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: If my kid had to get in a car, drive to a bank, take out money, drive to a casino, go into the casino, show an ID at the door, he probably wouldn’t be a gambling addict. He wouldn’t have been able to do all of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: After a few attempts at rehab, her son is now back at college and doing well. She helped start a support group for parents, and every week, their numbers keep growing. And she fears that all over the country, there are lots more parents just like her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>FREUDENBERG: The tsunami is – it’s, like, on the horizon, and it’s going to be really, really bad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CARRILLO: Sequoia Carrillo, NPR News.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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