Write to Win: If you could start a new trend for Gen Z, what would it be? (Round 8)

• Winner: Fujifilm Instax mini Liplay, JBL Headphone, Kindle, and a YP certificate

• First runner-up: Kindle, powerbank, HK$500 Eslite voucher, and a YP certificate

• Second runner-up: Kindle, HK$300 Eslite voucher, and a YP certificate

Banana: Each round of Write to Win has only fuelled my love and passion for writing. I’m very grateful for all the support you’ve given me in each of these rounds. Please continue to love and support Banana.

I would start a trend of boycotting artificial intelligence (AI) software like Poe or ChatGPT. I vividly remember a piece of writing we had to finish for a class – a challenge that required a high degree of research and analysis. Students who used AI received higher marks than those who wrote by themselves. This raised a question: though AI-wielding students may have succeeded in this one assignment, will they succeed in the long run?

AI suppresses critical thinking, and over-reliance on AI-generated results restrains personal growth and development and limits an individual’s intellectual stimulation. Critical thinking involves the analysis and verification of information, as well as thinking clearly and rationally.

Being overly dependent on AI can only have detrimental effects on the brain, not giving it any chances to think and allowing cognitive abilities to decline over time. In addition to critical thinking, AI hinders one’s personal writing style, limiting a writer’s creativity and expression.

We’ve all come across AI spewing facts and information, making content seem bland and uninteresting, lacking the unique voice that makes writing captivating and mesmerising. Human writing provides room for imagination and emotion, leaving a lasting impression on any reader. While AI offers convenience, it shouldn’t stifle a writer’s unique qualities.

Starting this trend would promote originality and authenticity instead of spuriousness and artificiality. Genuine expression provides a deeper level of connection and understanding.

Avocado: As a quirky and inventive Ravenclaw, I am passionate about Harry Potter, astronomy and chemistry, especially the periodic table. When I’m not conducting experiments, you’ll find me at the courts playing badminton with my father.

I want to promote the trend of embracing the physical world among Gen Z. It is no secret that members of this generation are digital experts, thanks to rapid technological advancements. Allocating more time to the physical world would improve their health and foster better relationships.

Surveys have found that Gen Z spends about six hours online every day. Their lives are occupied by blogging, watching videos and designing clips. The lack of contact with the physical world is the main culprit for depression in this generation.

Poor relationships with relatives and friends are also a common yet alarming issue. Through advertisements on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, Gen Z can be encouraged to attend events such as charitable activities and gatherings. Realising they belong in an offline society could give them a sense of fulfilment through helping and interacting with others in person.

Expeditions like hiking tours, sightseeing, and exploration could strengthen their connection with nature and their knowledge about the physical world. These adventures can also give them opportunities to exercise, thus reducing the risk of chronic diseases, obesity, and eye problems caused by excessive screen time.

Breaking out of the virtual world can improve Gen Z’s general sense of health and well-being.

Pear: Hello, I’m Pear! As a passionate learner, I enjoy participating in Model UN conferences to spark my curiosity about global issues. Meanwhile, when I’m not fighting deadlines, you can find me immersed in a historical fiction novel or taking ballet classes.

How many of us have been there, sweating it out in a foreign country, nature calling desperately but unable to ask, “Where’s the restroom?” in the local tongue?

These embarrassing moments illustrate how much is lost without simple communication across cultures. But what if emerging technology could disrupt this status quo and liberate us with the gift of understanding a universal language by downloading it into our brains? It’s not just about communication but personal growth and self-discovery.

As a resilient generation known for going through issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re also tasked with repairing the planet alongside building an equitable future. Gen Z, you are the ones who can lead this change. You deserve nothing less than the ability to understand all the world’s languages and connect with all people. We have witnessed first-hand how intolerance arises from a lack of exposure to other cultures or viewpoints and miscommunication. But imagine if overnight, through an advanced interface linking our minds to knowledge, we each suddenly possessed fluency in every language on Earth.

This could give everyone the voice to speak up and an opportunity to be heard. We would shatter barriers inhibiting coordinated solutions to poverty, conflict and climate change.

Multilingualism can truly build culturally aware global citizens.