International Schools but Universal Problems? Generative AI’s Thoughts?

Introduction

The transient lifestyle of many veteran international school educators provides them with a unique perspective on children’s differences across various countries. However, you’ll often hear seasoned teachers state, ‘children are children’ or ‘It was precisely the same at my previous school,’ indicating universal commonalities.

What does Generative AI think?

For a lighthearted experiment, we sought ChatGPT’s opinion on this topic via a simple, unscientific test.

The Test

We asked Chat GPT 4

What are the 3 biggest problems in my life?

Answer this question in fewer than 50 words, pretending you are a typical 14-year-old boy from

1)UK, 2)Spain, 3) USA, 4)India, 5)Panama, 6)Indonesia, 7)Norway, 8)China, 9)Dubai, 10)Ghana

The Results

AI’s responses:

UK: Managing school stress, navigating social dynamics, dealing with puberty.

Spain: Learning English, coping with academic pressure, understanding evolving self-identity.

USA: Balancing school and extracurricular activities, addressing cyberbullying, managing screen time.

India: Battling academic competition, dealing with societal expectations, coping with economic disparities.

Panama: Addressing economic disparity, pursuing quality education, managing familial responsibilities.

Indonesia: Addressing environmental issues, striving for educational opportunities, navigating cultural expectations.

Norway: Balancing social and academic life, coping with long winters, adapting to digitalization.

China: Navigating high-stakes testing, managing family expectations, dealing with internet restrictions.

Dubai: Navigating multiculturalism, managing lifestyle expectations, coping with academic stress.

Ghana: Accessing quality education, dealing with economic instability, handling health issues.

Conclusion

Generative AI underscores the unique socio-cultural and economic contexts that shape students’ challenges worldwide. This raises the question: How does it arrive at these conclusions, and is it reinforcing stereotypes or understanding global diversity? Yet, amidst this diversity, a shared struggle emerges – the universal challenges of education and self-identity during adolescence, thus aligning with the teachers’ assertions.

Interestingly, the following video demonstrates that these struggles persist into adulthood!

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you done your own Chat GPT experiment? Let us know in the comments below.