AI and the Off Button: Knowing When to Stop Using It

AI is fun and useful, but it is not a friend who needs your time. Real life — playing outside, drawing on paper, talking to your family — matters more. Knowing when to turn AI off is a superpower.

Some examples

• Close AI when you finish your task.
• Use real paper and crayons sometimes.
• Talk to a real person when you have feelings to share.
• Take screen breaks every 20 minutes.

Try it!

Set a timer for 15 minutes of AI use. When it dings, do something fun without any screens.

Practice this safely

Try this with a low-stakes example and a trusted adult nearby. The goal is to notice how AI talks about balance, not to let it make the decision for you.

1. 1Ask AI to explain balance in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
2. 2Give it one detail from "AI and the Off Button: Knowing When to Stop Using It" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
3. 3Check off time against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.