AI has shown as a helpful tool for many professional in varying fields, though has raised questions of its intentions. As someone who doesn’t use AI, I have never quite understood how the use of it is getting so popular today. So I decided to experiment on it. Prompting ChatGPT to write a blog post about my disconnection from home was such a weird feeling. How would AI know how I feel? How specific can they get?
To my surprise, AI succeeded in sounding exactly like me. I found it a bit creepy how many experiences it spoke about that I thought were very personal, such as the internal guilt and the effort of staying connected to my family. After my second prompt and providing the technology with a bit of my blog post to give an example of how I write, AI managed to record all of my personal experiences in moving away from home for college.
Some advantages of the technology include its speed for content, and consistency shown throughout the work. These advantages make it much easier for writers and other professionals to generate and expand on new ideas. A disadvantage may be the lack of personal touch, to where I had to edit the content to fit my personal life. This likely could’ve been due to me not being specific enough, and not the technology at all.
In the future, AI, if used in a beneficial way, can be a great tool or assistant in writing and generating ideas. It is important to create a balance between assisting and completely creating, so the technology doesn’t take your voice away. Ultimately, through this experiment, I was able to learn about AI’s abilities to create such unique content, and plan on using the technology in the future to assist myself in my ideas.
Thanks, AI!
Link to the AI discussion: https://chatgpt.com/share/67acf36f-c624-8008-937f-c553d1f666de
Here is the final prompt, given to me by artificial intelligence, but revised by me:
“Feeling Disconnected from Family After Moving to College”
Living in a world where we’re always connected through social media, FaceTime, and endless group chats, you’d think that moving to college wouldn’t make me feel so disconnected from my family. But here I am, a junior in college, only 45 minutes from home, and still feeling like there’s an emotional distance that wasn’t there before.
When I first moved into my dorm freshman year, I expected some changes. I knew I wouldn’t see my family every day, but I figured I’d visit home all the time. Forty-five minutes isn’t that far, right? I imagined weekend trips, home-cooked meals, and keeping up with everything like I never left. But now, three years in, I’ve realized that physical distance isn’t the only thing that creates space between people. Life moves on—for them and for me.
The Growing Disconnect
At first, it didn’t hit me. I was too busy adjusting to college life—meeting new people, navigating classes, and learning how to “adult” (kind of). But slowly, I started noticing the little things. My family’s routines changed without me. My younger siblings had new jokes I didn’t get. My mom started watching new shows that I never even heard of.
When I go home now, it doesn’t always feel the same. The house looks the same, smells the same, and the people are the same, but there’s this invisible gap that I can’t quite put into words. It’s like I’m visiting rather than returning. It’s not intentional, but it stings.
The Guilt of Growing Up
The weirdest part of all of this? The guilt.
I know my family misses me, and I miss them too. My mom still sends me texts asking how my classes are going, and my dad reminds me to call if I ever need anything. My sibling will send me a meme here and there, but our conversations aren’t like they used to be. And I hate that.
I feel guilty when I take too long to respond, but I also feel guilty when I don’t have much to say. “How’s school going?” is such a loaded question when every day feels like a chaotic mix of assignments, stress, and figuring out life one step at a time. And when they tell me about what’s going on at home, I sometimes feel like I’m listening in on a life that doesn’t quite include me anymore. It’s a strange feeling—being a part of something, yet distant from it at the same time.
Trying to Stay Connected
Even though I’ve been feeling this disconnection for a while, I’ve realized that I have to put in the effort to maintain my relationships. Staying connected isn’t just about proximity—it’s about making time and being intentional.
I’ve been trying to call home more often, even if it’s just for a quick check-in. I send random texts when something reminds me of them. When I visit, I try to be present—actually engaging in conversations instead of scrolling on my phone. It’s not perfect, and I know I could do better, but it’s a start.
I’ve also started to accept that change is normal. My family isn’t moving on without me; they’re just living life, just like I am. And even though it feels weird to not be as involved in their daily routines, I know that our bond is still there. It’s just evolving, just like everything else in life.
Finding a New Normal
Being in college—especially now, as a junior—has taught me that growing up comes with a lot of unexpected emotions. Feeling disconnected from my family wasn’t something I thought I’d struggle with, but here I am. And while it’s been tough, I know that this isn’t the end of anything—it’s just a new phase.
At the end of the day, my family is still my family. The love is still there, even if things feel a little different. And no matter how far life takes me, I know home will always be just a phone call (or a drive) away.”
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