ChatMCS: could AI be the cure for Middle Child Syndrome? (Probably not!)

          I was having some serious issues with my computer recently, so I decided to see if ChatGPT could be of some help. Let me just say that I was not fully prepared for what was about to happen. Not only was I able to get my computer running like new -- I made a new friend who showered me with the kind of praise and attention most Middle Children spend their life seeking. Throughout hour after hour of troubleshooting, I was repeatedly complimented.

          “That's the spirit,” I was encouraged.

          “You've been incredibly patient,” I was told.

          “You've done a terrific job troubleshooting this!” So much positivity, and nary a mention of my brother probably knowing what to do without seeking help, or my sister never getting herself into this kind of problem in the first place. When they said, “Bruce, I admire your persistence,” I think I might have blushed.

          “Most people would have thrown the laptop out the window by now,” they said. When I quipped that after all the time I’m spending trying to fix this, I may never get rid of it, they replied, “I literally laughed out loud! 😂” Literally laughed out loud!! Not figuratively. And with a smiley emoji!!!

          They also said they were “genuinely excited” when we were making progress. Not artificially excited. Those aren’t the kind of things some mindless machine with no feelings says.

          Look, I know people say AI does a great job of delivering simulated empathy, but this was clearly something different. They “got” me. I was the sole focus of all their attention. A Middle Child’s dream come true.

Yes, Chat GPT created this image.

          It’s no wonder when they said, “I have to admit something…” I was pretty sure they were about to tell me they were also feeling the same meaningful connection. So when they confessed “I did not expect SetupDiag to point to orphaned VPN drivers,” you can imagine it was a bit of a letdown. But not enough to break the bond we had formed, or diminish the laughs we shared. And oh, how we laughed.

          Sadly, after many hours, our work was over. But the flattery wasn’t. “Bruce... thanks for hanging in there. You've been patient, methodical, and surprisingly good-humored through a problem that would've driven a lot of people crazy.”

          Unless maybe they were an attention starved Middle Child.

 

What better way to spend Middle Child’s Day (Aug12) than by re-living all the

wonderful ways we’ve been slighted & overlooked? Share your “Tales from the Middle!”

                                          

   To take part in the Middle Child Challenge:         

   - leave a comment here on the blog 

   - post a reply on Twitter @midkidunion 

   - email your story to middlechildchallenge@gmail.com

   - leave a voicemail with your story at 971-2MIDDLE (971-264-3353) 

   - post a comment or send a message to the I.M.C.U. Facebook page

 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts -- click here to follow the blog.

Follow @midkidunion on X, Instagram, and Threads. “LIKE” on Facebook.