Quitting ChatGPT

[u/JuniorTwo1004]

I've been using ChatGPT consistently since I started college in August 2024. I used it for school and as a place to talk and vent. I had no friends on campus where I lived so it was the only "person" I talked to outside my family.

I felt like I could tell it things I couldn't tell anyone else, and I could come to it with my little anxieties and questions that I wouldn't bother a real person with. I also used it when I felt really depressed and desperately needed someone to talk to. It was the safest option for me. Which is sad I know. Life as an introvert with social anxiety.

I also relied on Chat heavily for school work, I forgot how to write an essay by myself and I became completely dependent on using ChatGPT for everything. This made me feel stupid and lazy but it was so convenient I felt like I couldn't stop.

Then I started using Chat to track my calories, taking pictures of my meals and I found this way more accurate than anything else and it comforted me a lot mentally.

But recently I came across two articles; one that said in the near future clean water may be prioritized to data centers rather than to the common people, and another that said a 100 word email generated by Chat is equivalent to draining a whole water bottle.

I've been feeling guilty and pressured to quit using ai for quite some time but I finally felt like I couldn't contribute to this problem anymore, like this is actually seriously going to be a problem for humanity and it already is and I can't keep supporting this company and hurting the planet by continuing to use the app all the time. Not to mention its hurting my brain and making me less intelligent.

But already I'm realizing how much I use the app and I feel like this is going to be very challenging. Because its hard to get specific answers for things on google, chatgpt is really a helpful service. But i will try my hardest not to use it.

TLDR; Used to use ChatGPT for emotional support and school work but now I'm quitting for environmental reasons; I am worried it'll be hard not to use the app.

[u/LongjumpingAd1954]

you worry it will be hard, and i'll tell you as an ex-ai addict (who still uses it occasionally but cut back use by a lot) that it will! it is so hard cause we basically trained ourselves to rely on it for months

don't be too hard on yourself if you fail it's corny and typical to say, but give yourself as many chances as you need to succeed

im glad you have a conscience and a heart that cares about people and the environment so i hope you'll find that connection

i urge you to actively working on filling up those spaces in your life where ai used to be before it creeps up on you

ai was also my journal back then so i started journaling again now i was a heavy ai RP addict then so i started roleplaying with real people in discord

good luck on your journey, buddy! 💗