The day my child asks a machine for advice

Just pause for a moment and imagine this.Your child has something on their mind - friendship trouble, anxiety, a question about their body. And instead of turning to you, or a friend, they ask a machine.Not because they prefer the machine. But because it’s always there. Always polite. Always attentive.A teenager said to me recently, “It’s easier to talk to AI. It doesn’t judge you.” And that saddened me. The technology is extraordinary. But the implications are enormous. We’ve already watched social media hijack our children’s attention. AI risks something deeper - their attachment.A chatbot can sound warm and empathetic, but underneath it’s just predicting the next word. And children are wired to trust whatever speaks kindly to them.My worry is the quiet shift this creates. Instead of reaching out, wrestling with a problem, risking vulnerability with another human… they can ask a machine that always responds.And slowly something erodes - the practice of thinking, of relating, of tolerating uncertainty.Interestingly, many of the people building this technology don’t let their own children use it. That alone should make us pause.So no panic. But let’s stay thoughtful.Human first. Technology second. High touch before high tech.Because the goal of parenting was never to raise children who can access information instantly. It’s to raise young people who can think, connect, question and trust themselves.And those things still grow best in conversation, not in code.Thank you for pausing with me. Take care. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kimmccabe.substack.com/subscribe