Who Cares About Our Youth? Part II

By Jeffrey L. Boney, The Block News Contributor

Rep. Jolanda Jones Raises Concerns about AI, our Youth, and Critical Thinking

The debate over the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in society took center stage during the second installment of Houston Community Media’s “Who Cares About Our Youth?” interview series.

AI is changing the way people learn, work, and communicate. While many embrace AI technology, others worry that so much could be lost as AI becomes a bigger part of everyday life, especially amongst our younger generation of students.

This second installment of the media news briefing featured State Representative Jolanda Jones, who represents Texas House District 147 in Houston.

Rep. Jones brings a broad range of public service experience to the discussion. Before being elected to the Texas House, Rep. Jones served on the Houston City Council and the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees. An attorney and business owner, she has built a career advocating for civil rights, educational opportunity, public safety and underserved communities while practicing law for more than two decades.

A former Houston City Council member and Houston ISD trustee, Rep. Jones is also a longtime attorney, business owner, and advocate for education, civil rights, and underserved communities. 

Drawing from those experiences, Rep. Jones shared strong concerns about how AI and social media are shaping today’s young people. Throughout the conversation, she shared strong concerns about how AI and social media are shaping today’s young people—not because technology itself is inherently bad, but because of what she believes it is replacing.

Rep. Jones made no secret of where she stands about AI being one of the greatest threats facing young people today. She believes AI is contributing to what could be described as a “dumbing down” of younger generations by impacting their ability to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills early in life.

To illustrate the point, Rep. Jones recalled during her childhood, being taught to read a paper map before getting on the road to travel and before GPS even existed. She emphasized, that today, many people simply rely on a GPS app to tell them where to go and follow directions without even understanding how they ended up at their intended destination. 

For Rep. Jones, that shift in AI dependency illustrates a broader concern—that technology can replace critical learning skills people once developed through practice and repetition.

Rep. Jones also said students should spend more time doing handwritten assignments so they can learn to think, write, and communicate for themselves before turning to AI for assistance. 

The same philosophy, she argued, applies well beyond the classroom, including the legal profession, where attorneys must still verify facts, research case law, and exercise independent judgment rather than rely solely on AI-generated information.

The conversation also turned to social media, which Rep. Jones believes has created unrealistic expectations for many young people. With filters, edited images and carefully curated posts, Rep. Jones said too many children compare themselves to lives that aren’t always real, making it harder to build genuine self-confidence.

When asked if there was anything positive about AI technology, Rep. Jones acknowledged that AI can be helpful for simple tasks like proofreading, reviewing grammar, and drafting routine correspondence after a person has already done the actual thinking and writing themselves. The concern, she emphasized, is when people become so reliant on AI that it becomes the starting point instead of a finishing tool.

Throughout this segment, Rep. Jones repeatedly returned to one central message—people, especially students should first learn to think, write, and solve problems on their own, instead of trying to master AI and have it supplement human intelligence.

Whether Texans agree or disagree with Rep. Jones’ assessment, or not, the conversation reflects a broader debate taking place across classrooms, homes, and workplaces as educators, parents, policymakers and technology leaders continue to grapple with AI’s rapidly expanding role in society.

As Houston Community Media continues its Who Cares About Our Youth? series, one important question remains:

How do we prepare young people for the future without sacrificing the critical thinking skills they’ll need to succeed?

That is a question communities across Texas—and the nation—will continue to seek answers for as we move forward.