“Good enough is not good enough, it has to be perfect!” I hear some random kids’ TV show character say. My eyes are glued to the screen, her words resonating with the perfectionist in me. With the popularity of social media, many young people feel the need to be meticulously put together 100% of the time, meeting or exceeding the expectations of those around them. As I enter my later years of high school, my friends and classmates anxiously check their inboxes, searching for acceptance letters to schools or summer programs or to see the latest score put into the gradebook. Around 83% of students cited school as the major cause of stress in their lives. I can’t help but feel a sense of anxiety prodding at the back of my mind, am I falling behind?
The drive for greatness, particularly concerning academics, has left students searching for a way to ease the ever-growing load of assignments on their to-do lists while maintaining A’s. Many have turned to the use of AI models, such as ChatGPT, to cheat on tests or write essays. After becoming free for public use, ChatGPT achieved the fastest-growing user base, thanks to the countless burnt-out students. However, the immediate relief of “completing” an assignment leads to shortcomings when these people apply for jobs or internships. Without the ability to accept failure and rebound from it, students lack resilience and the ability to view things from different angles. Moreover, failing and then succeeding builds confidence in your abilities. As they say, practice makes perfect!