This is the third installment of The Re-Education Hour series, and is a sequel to The Re-Education Hour and The Re-Education Hour: Love in the Time of Reform*. Unlike the first two, this one was generated by ChatGPT 3.5. I noticed small differences in performance over ChatGPT 4.0 Turbo. As with the first two installments, the whole thing has been generated by artificial intelligence based on my prompts. The world in which this story is set is the same as in the earlier episodes of The Re-Education Hour. I noticed that ChatGPT 3.5 abruptly changes the formatting and even writing styles halfway. This explains why some scenes are just descriptions, while others are mainly dialogues.*
Amidst dark shadows, Light emerges, hearts embrace, Hope blooms in stillness.
— a haiku generated by AI to summarize this installment’s plot.
Aspen is overwhelmed by the social turmoil around them. Social media and conventional media, as well as the people around them, are increasingly polarized, sending out conflicting opinions and information often mixed with intense emotions. Aspen develops anxiety and burnout and withdraws themselves at home.
[INT. ASPEN'S APARTMENT - DAY]
The room is dimly lit, with scattered papers and half-empty coffee cups strewn across the table. ASPEN sits hunched over their laptop, eyes fixed on the screen, visibly distressed by the barrage of information flooding their social media feed.
ASPEN (muttering to themselves) It's too much... I can't make sense of any of it...
They scroll through a series of posts, each one more polarizing and inflammatory than the last. Their brow furrows with frustration as conflicting opinions and emotions swirl around them.
Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. ASPEN hesitates for a moment before getting up to answer it.
ASPEN (contemplative) Who could that be?
They open the door to reveal LLOYD, a charismatic and well-spoken individual who exudes an air of confidence and authority.
LLOYD (smiling warmly) Good afternoon. My name is Lloyd. I couldn't help but notice that you seem troubled by the state of the world.
ASPEN (guarded) I... I suppose I am. Everything just feels so chaotic right now.
LLOYD (nodding sympathetically) I understand completely. It's a confusing time for all of us. But I believe I have some insights that might help you make sense of it all.
ASPEN (intrigued) Insights?
LLOYD (gesturing towards the laptop) May I?
ASPEN hesitates for a moment before nodding reluctantly. LLOYD takes a seat and begins to navigate through ASPEN's social media feed with ease, pointing out inconsistencies and biases in the information presented.