On the Radar: ‘Galaxy Gas,’ ChatGPT Cheating Calculator and How Teens Use AI, Best TV Shows to Binge Watch

‘Galaxy Gas’ Is Just a New Version of ‘Chroming’

What? “Galaxy Gas”—also known as “whippets”—refers to a new trend wherein users get high by inhaling the nitrous oxide contained in whipped cream chargers made by the Atlanta-based company, Galaxy Gas.

So What? Similar to “huffing” or “chroming” (another harmful trend popularized earlier this year) misusing Galaxy Gas can cause loss of coordination, headaches, nausea and vomiting. It can also result in loss of consciousness from oxygen deprivation, a heart attack due to a sudden increase in blood pressure or even death.

Now What? Galaxy Gas is a legal product used to create and flavor whipped cream, so it’s easily accessible to impressionable kids and teens who might see it trending online. Talk to your kids about the risks of this trend and other forms of substance abuse. Keep aware of the signs of misuse—gaps in your child’s memory, empty canisters lying about, random laughter or euphoric moods, mood changes and excessive exhaustion—and seek emergency care immediately if your child is experiencing loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, seizures or turning blue around the lips or fingertips.

Calculators Can Now Cheat With ChatGPT

What? Last week, YouTuber ChromaLock published a video detailing how to download ChatGPT (the OpenAI chatbot renowned for its homework cheating) onto the Texas Instruments TI-84 graphing calculator.

So What? The TI-84 is popular among math teachers for its strong computing abilities and “Test Mode” feature, which prevents cheating. However, this new tutorial not only shows students how to bypass Test Mode in order to cheat on tests via ChatGPT, it also shows them how to avoid detection if a teacher tries to check the device for the software beforehand.

Now What? We’ve all heard (or perhaps spoken) this old standby: “If you cheat on your homework/tests, you’re only cheating yourself.” But teens should consider their classmates, too. If your teen gets caught using this hack, the teacher may ban use of all calculators. So students who used the calculators fairly could be cheated out of a good grade themselves. Additionally, different schools have different tolerance policies regarding cheating. Best case scenario, it could show up on future college applications. Worst case, you could be suspended or even expelled.

Parents Are Unaware of Their Teens’ AI Use

What? Common Sense Media’s latest study, “The Dawn of the AI Era,” revealed that 7 in 10 teens age 13 to 18 have used at least one type of generative artificial intelligence tool. But only 37% of their parents are actually aware of this usage.

So What? Most teens (53%) are using AI generators to help with homework. But other top reasons include translating things into other languages (41%), brainstorming ideas (38%) and writing documents (35%).

Now What? Parents are worried that generative AI may harm their child’s ability to learn new skills, particularly writing, critical thinking and the ability to generate new ideas. But the vast majority of teenagers believe that learning how to use gen AI could actually help them in school—not to mention giving them an advantage in their future jobs. Talk to your kids to see how they feel about AI. Help them learn how to approach these generative tools responsibly, so that they won’t violate potential school rules and so they get the best learning experience possible.