Make the most of Gemini, from exam consultations to dinner table topics! Practical ideas for middle and high school students and their parents that you can try starting today
Hello, this is the official note editorial department for Google's AI, "Gemini."
Middle and high school students who have grown up with smartphones are now finding generative AI to be a familiar presence. While the use of generative AI creates new possibilities, some may also feel challenges or questions such as, "How should I use AI?" Many parents also have concerns about how their children interact with generative AI, such as "Will they just leave their school assignments to generative AI?" or "Won't it hinder the development of their critical thinking skills?"
Therefore, in this note, through interviews with middle and high school students and their parents who actually use Gemini, we will explore their real-world ways of using generative AI, the challenges they face, and how to utilize AI for children's learning and creative activities.
In the first part, we asked two students, a middle schooler and a high schooler, about specific ways they use Gemini for school studies and how they use it for their hobby of programming. In the second part, we will delve deeper into the advantages of Gemini from the perspective of these two students who regularly use the
free"Gemini app", how parents view their children's AI usage, and their expectations for the future.
Gemini as a conversation starter for the family
—In the first part, we heard from a middle schooler and a high schooler about how they use Gemini. Parents, did you notice anything while watching your children use Gemini?
A's mother:I use Gemini myself for everything from work to my private life, but I was surprised that my son's way of using it is completely different. He told me, "I use it for my studies," and when he shared the answers he got from Gemini, I saw that he used it in a very simple way, "asking only what he wants to know, concisely."
I often write long prompts, but my son writes in words or single sentences, like "Tell me about this." When I asked him, "Why do you use it that way?" he said, "I'm not looking for accuracy or a 100% answer. I just want it to be a hint."The fact that he wants to leave room for himself to think was an eye-opener for me.It's not exactly about time performance, but I felt it was a very modern way for a kid to use it.
It was very interesting to see that even with the same tool, Gemini, people use it in such different ways.
A:My mom often chats with Gemini. Every morning, while eating breakfast, she asks Gemini Live about the weather and the news.
A's mother:In our house, "smartphones are prohibited during meals," but Gemini is the exception (laughs). Gemini's answers soften the atmosphere and provide topics, so we keep it on the dining table and talk to it like a fourth family member.
A:It's also convenient to be able to ask about words that come up in the news right on the spot. When our family went on a trip, we used Gemini Live to ask who the person was whose statue was in the park. We could have looked it up with Google Lens, but since Gemini can handle most things, I think it's a great advantage of Gemini that we can use it without switching apps.
A's mother:I see... I was using Gemini Live all the time without thinking about it, but now that you mention it, that was certainly convenient.
—How about in B's family?
B's mother: We also talk with Gemini in our house. In my son's case, he wasn't interested in going to cram school, so I thought it would be fine if he just got friendly with Gemini and had it teach him various things.
My son is taking high school entrance exams this year, and since I didn't know anything about mock exam information, I asked Gemini, "What kind of mock exams are there for high school?" and it told me in detail.
B:
I also tried asking Gemini to look up past exam questions for the high school that my senior went to. I have Gemini look up information about high schools, and my mom, Gemini, and I discuss which schools to apply to, saying things like, "This school is nice" or "Is the location too far?"
Also, I think if I ask, "What are exam students doing at this time of year?" it will help me create a study plan or roadmap for high school entrance exams.
Is it a loss if you don't use Gemini?
—Have you noticed anything from using Gemini so far?
Person A:When I first used Gemini, I asked it to 'tell me 10 delicious ramen shops around my house,' but it suggested places that had closed five years ago, and the answer never changed. When I thought about what to do, I realized I should narrow down the source of the information, so I told it to 'find places with recent business information on Google Maps,' and then it only showed me shops that are currently open.
It was very interesting to discover that when Gemini gives incorrect information, you can get the right answer by narrowing down where it gets its information from.
- I see, so you experienced that AI can sometimes lie or provide outdated information. It's a new discovery that this can be improved by how you give instructions.
Person B:According to friends who use other generative AI, the free versions have limits on how many times you can ask questions using photos, and sometimes you can't use it when you want to. I feel that Gemini is convenient because you can do quite a lot even with the free version.
Person A:The free version is good enough, but it's a shame that there are features, like the video generation I mentioned earlier, that can only be used by those 18 and older.
Even when my mother told me, 'This new feature is interesting,' it often didn't appear in my Gemini. It would be helpful if the age restriction could be lowered a bit.
Person B:Gemini responds in very natural Japanese even when just chatting. So, I think it could also be used for learning English.If I talk to it in English, it responds in native English, so I'd like to try practicing English with it too.
- Please let me know if you have any other expectations or requests for things you'd like to be able to do with Gemini.
Person B:Since I do design work, it's helpful that it can generate images. Also, I'd like to try creating music with Gemini.
Person A:There are many things that can be made more efficient by using Gemini, so I hope the features keep increasing. It seems like you can generate videos with Gemini, but those under 18 can't... I hope that becomes available soon too!
- Do you think it would be better to have opportunities to learn how to use generative AI in school classes?
Person A:I think it would be better. I think if you use it, you'll realize how incredibly convenient it is, so personally, I feel like 'you're missing out if you don't use it!'
Creating an environment to watch over 'how you interact with AI' is important
- Do you have any rules about generative AI at home? Also, please tell me about your expectations for how you would like it to be used.
Person B's mother:We don't have any specific rules in our home; our policy is 'just try using it.' We used to have restrictions on smartphone use, but it was so inconvenient that we stopped.
Currently, when they are on a computer or smartphone, there is no longer a clear line between whether it's for studying, gaming, research, or creative activities. Besides, we parents also use computers and smartphones a lot, so we decided, 'Isn't it fine to let them use them freely?' I can no longer keep up with the level of programming my son is doing, so when I look at it, I can only say, 'That's amazing' (laughs).
Person B's father:My son is interested in many things and is acting independently, so I think he should just keep developing what he likes.
"Rather than 'how I want them to use AI,' I think it's fine as long as the environment allows us to understand 'how the child is interacting with AI.' If they don't actually interact with AI, I don't think they'll know what's wrong or what's right. Therefore, my view is that it's better to use it actively than not to use it at all.
Person A's mother: We also don't have any rules about generative AI at home; in fact, we encourage it by saying, 'Go ahead and use it!'
- So you view using generative AI positively, and the important thing is an environment where you can grasp how it's being used. Does the topic of AI come up in conversations with your children?
Person B's father:I also use generative AI at work, so I've talked about how I use it, such as 'using the generative AI's response as a guide and thinking from there.' Even if I say, 'It's good to use it this way,' they probably won't use it exactly like that, so I think it's fine for my son to actually interact with generative AI and learn how to use it in a way that suits him, like 'Oh, I can use it like this.'
B's mother:When I saw my son say, 'If there's a hallucination while using Gemini, I can just press it again and it will look it up and fix it,' while he was using it, I realized, 'Oh, even kids in this generation don't trust AI completely; they use it with the understanding that hallucinations can occur.'
A's mother:Seeing my son use Gemini's answers as study hints while leaving room for his own thinking made me feel relieved and happy at the same time. As a parent and an adult, I want to continue creating an environment where we don't rely entirely on generative AI, but rather use it to get new ideas and engage in dialogue, using that as a foundation to expand on what he wants to do.
"I want a more positive impression of AI to spread"
- Finally, looking toward a future where AI will be commonplace, what expectations do you have for AI?
A:What I feel right now is that it might be difficult for us minors to have a good impression of generative AI. When its use is prohibited at school or elsewhere, it tends to leave a bad impression. That goes for functional restrictions as well, and I hope that minors will be able to use AI more spontaneously.
I understand the concerns about minors using it, but I feel that how excellent AI is hasn't been conveyed enough yet, so I want its potential to spread to more people.
B's father:I think that by interacting with an excellent tool like AI, new human possibilities will also come into view, so I have expectations for that.
- Thank you very much.
Understand the risks and use it! Smart ways for middle and high school students to interact with AI
Through two interviews, it became clear that middle and high school students are starting to use generative AI not just as a tool to 'make things easier,' but also to get 'hints' for learning and as a partner for creative activities. Furthermore, they are learning through experience that they can use it more effectively by understanding AI hallucinations and giving appropriate instructions.
Parents are also looking toward a future where AI is a standard tool and view their children's exposure to AI positively. Rather than restricting its use, they showed an attitude of valuing an environment where they can grasp how their children are engaging with AI and learning how to interact with it together.
The free"Gemini app", which can be used by those 13 and older, has introduced safety measures such as an 'AI Literacy Guide' so that middle and high school students can use it with confidence and peace of mind. In this guide, you can learn the basics of how to use generative AI through short videos and the like, so it is also recommended that you watch it as a family when your child starts using Gemini.
Children develop their creativity while interacting with Gemini, and parents watch over them. We hope that these real voices will be the first step toward such a future.