AI has been found to contribute significantly to the decline in the mental health of teenagers Saad Faruque | ABC.com
The AI Effect: Students Weigh in on ChatGPT's Impact on Mental Health
DECEMBER 18, 2025
The rise of conversational AI, particularly tools like ChatGPT, has fundamentally shifted the landscape of high school academics. While offering assistance with homework and studying, students and staff at EBHS have begun to recognize a more nuanced consequence: the effect of these tools on teen health and well-being.
The shortcut of instantly generating essays and summaries for classwork has created a powerful new academic shortcut, but some students are experiencing a decline in their intrinsic motivation. A sophomore student, Merolla Girgis, said: “Lack of creativity, lack of accuracy, and grades that teachers are grading on random computer work, not the original work. One of the people (I can’t give out names) I know overuses AI, and when she didn’t have access to her computer or phone, she struggled with common spelling and grammar. She couldn’t think of an answer from a different perspective. I basically think that schools should totally restrict it; we should only use it to create quizzes for students to study.”
The discussion extends beyond just motivation; it touches on the quality of social interaction. For some students, learning through AI is easy and very accessible; interacting with teachers and peers is reduced. Sometimes AI can provide the wrong information. One history teacher, Mr. Troshane, mentioned: The problem with AI is that many students use it in a way that undermines their learning. I always ask my students: "What is more important: getting the right answer or figuring out how to get the right answer?” Essentially, this is saying that we should prioritize finding the answer on our own, and using AI only to help us find resources to find the answer, or not, is simply putting down the question and writing down the answer.
While the convenience of AI is clear, students are actively searching for a balance. Many are learning to use the tools not as a replacement for effort, but as study aids. For example, some use ChatGPT to create quizzes on a topic or to quickly summarize an entire textbook chapter, leaving the critical analysis and essay writing to themselves. This approach, students hope, will allow them to maintain their academic edge while sacrificing the necessary mental exercise and personal satisfaction essential for a healthy school experience.
The growing challenge for EBHS students is mastering the self-control needed to use AI responsibly. A task that is proving as mentally taxing as the homework itself.
