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What parents can do when AI becomes a homework crutch

• The best AI tutor shouldn't simply hand over answers. Look for tools that break problems into steps, ask questions, and make your child do the thinking.

• Set one simple rule: Try it yourself first. If your child reaches for AI before attempting the problem, it may be becoming a homework crutch.

• Test whether they're actually learning. Take the AI away and ask your child to explain or solve a similar problem on their own.

As students increasingly use artificial intelligence for homework help, parents face a new problem of figuring out whether AI is actually teaching your child or simply doing their homework for them.

ConsumerAffairs interviewed Ashish Bansal, a tech executive and father who created AI-powered math tutor StarSpark.AI, who says parents should pay less attention to whether AI gets the right answer and more attention to how it gets their child there.

Watch what happens when your child asks for the answer, Bansal told ConsumerAffairs. A real teacher doesn't just hand it over. It asks a question back, breaks the problem into steps, and makes the child do the thinking.

So before turning AI into your family's new math tutor, here are some ways to make sure your child is actually learning.

1. Give your child the closed-laptop test

There's an incredibly simple way to determine whether AI taught your child something.

Take the AI away. After your child gets help solving a problem, close the laptop or put down the phone and ask them to explain how they got the answer.

If they can, it's teaching, Bansal said. If they can't, it's copying.

You can take the experiment one step further by giving them a similar problem and see if they can solve it without AI.

This helps expose one of the biggest potential problems with AI homework assistance: It can make tonight's homework look successful without preparing your child for tomorrow's test.

Parents should also look at progress over several weeks. Are they getting faster? Are they asking for less help? Can they solve problems that previously gave them trouble?

Or are they returning to AI every time they encounter the same type of equation?

Pro tip: Once or twice a week, pick one problem similar to something your child completed with AI assistance and have them solve it without AI. Consider it a two-minute reality check.

2. Establish one simple rule: Try it yourself first

You probably don't need a 12-page family AI policy.

Instead, Bansal recommends starting with one straightforward rule: Try the problem yourself first. Then use AI to get unstuck.

That changes AI from an answer machine into something closer to raising your hand and asking a teacher for help.

The line is about who does the thinking, Bansal said. If the AI explains a step and your child does the work, that's help the same as a good tutor or a patient parent.

But if AI generates the completed answer and your child copies it?

They've only cheated themselves out of the learning, he said.

There's another behavior parents should watch closely: When does your child reach for AI?

If they read a difficult problem, struggle with it, and then ask AI to explain something, the technology is serving a useful purpose. If they open AI before even attempting the problem, it may already be becoming a crutch.

3. Look for these AI tutoring red flags

Parents shouldn't assume that something marketed as an AI tutor necessarily behaves like a good tutor.

Specifically, Bansal identified several warning signs worth watching:

• Your child can't solve the same type of problem without AI.

• It gives your child the final answer immediately.

• There's no dashboard, history, or progress report for parents.

• The AI regularly gets the math wrong.

That last one might be especially surprising. General-purpose AI chatbots can produce incorrect answers, according to Bansal, making accuracy something parents should consider when choosing a tool.

And don't be fooled by those overly confident explanations bots toss back to you. Its no secret that an AI response can sound absolutely convincing and still be wrong.

Pro tip: Before letting your child regularly use an AI math tool, give it several problems where you already know the correct answers. Also, ask it to explain why the answer is correct. By framing it this way, you're testing the tutor before letting the tutor test your kid.

4. Don't let AI become invisible

Bansal recommends keeping AI homework use out in the open rather than having kids disappear behind a closed bedroom door with it. That doesn't mean parents need to hover over every equation. Instead, periodically ask what your child is using AI for.

Specifically, have them show you an interaction. Is the AI asking questions and providing hints? Or is your child typing in homework questions and copying whatever appears?

When picking an AI tool to help your child, try to make sure theres a parent dashboard or chat history available. This can be super useful because it lets you see progress without constantly supervising.

StarSpark, for example, is designed around mastery, according to Bansal. Students move forward once they understand a concept, and the system walks them through steps rather than simply providing the final answer, even when they ask for it.

That's an important feature to look for in any AI tutor.

5. Know when your kid needs an actual person

AI has one significant limitation: It's not human.

A good tutor doesn't only understand math, they can also recognize when a child is frustrated, embarrassed, anxious, distracted, or ready to give up.

There's also built-in accountability when dealing with a human tutor. A tutor appointment is a fixed time, Bansal said. Your child has to show up and be ready.

That structure can be particularly important for children who struggle with discipline or motivation.

Bansal says a human may also be a better choice when a child has significant math anxiety, a diagnosed learning difference, or an IEP, or has fallen several years behind academically.

And sometimes the best solution doesn't have to be AI or a human. It can actually be both.

AI might provide everyday practice and quick homework assistance, while a tutor handles more difficult concepts and the motivational side of learning.

Parents can then provide the structure. You don't need to know the math, Bansal said. You just need to set the time, keep it consistent, and show your child it matters.

Teachers and nurses top a new ranking, while uniforms still appear to have plenty of appeal

• Teachers rank as the world's most-searched profession for attraction. They generate about 1.02 million searches annually, while nurses lead among U.S. searches.

• Uniforms still have plenty of appeal. Cowboys, police officers, and firefighters all land among the five most attractive professions.

• Take the results with a grain of salt. The Hidden study analyzed search behavior rather than directly asking people which professions they find attractive.

A new August 2026 study, from adult creator platform Hidden, analyzed online search behavior surrounding 45 professions and found teachers are the world's most searched-for profession when it comes to attraction, while nurses take the top spot among Americans specifically searching for attractive professions.

Researchers analyzed more than 700 search terms, separating searches indicating attraction from those that primarily looked for costumes. They also compared the results with employment numbers and five years of Google Trends data.

It's certainly not a scientific measure of attractiveness. But it offers an entertaining glimpse into the professions people find most attractive.

Teachers are still hot

Teachers took the No. 1 spot worldwide, generating about 1.02 million searches annually related to attraction. In the U.S., teachers generated approximately 216,600 attraction-related searches annually.

So, what is it about teachers? While the study doesn't answer that question specifically, its safe to assume that qualities like intelligence, confidence, and communication skills helped boost their searches.

Hot for Teacher, released on Van Halens 1984 album, apparently described a sentiment with considerably more staying power than parachute pants.

But Americans are really into nurses

While teachers may have won globally, its nurses that generated the most attraction-related searches in the United States.

Hidden counted approximately 233,000 annual U.S. searches related to attraction toward nurses, compared with 216,600 for teachers.

Nurses also piled up considerable costume interest. According to the study, Americans made about 90,000 annual searches specifically for sexy nurse costumes.

Cowboys aren't riding off into the sunset

Perhaps the most interesting entry is cowboys coming in at number three.

Hidden found approximately 88,000 annual U.S. attraction searches related to cowboys. But costume interest was even greater, with approximately 175,200 annual U.S. searches for cowboy outfits.

But its worth noting that searching for a cowboy costume isn't necessarily the same as finding cowboys attractive, which is why researchers separated general costume searches from attraction-related searches.

Still, America's fascination with boots, hats, and a big ol belt buckle clearly isn't disappearing anytime soon.

Uniforms remain tough to beat

Police officers ranked fourth and firefighters fifth. Police officers generated roughly 105,400 U.S. attraction searches annually, while firefighters generated approximately 53,000.

Costumes were another story. About 152,400 Americans search for police officer costumes annually, including roughly 62,400 searches specifically for sexier versions.

The overall top 10 consisted of teachers, nurses, cowboys, police officers, firefighters, doctors, secretaries, flight attendants, chefs, and scientists.

Yes, scientists made the list. Apparently, the lab coat has been severely underestimated.

Secretaries have one surprising distinction

Secretaries ranked seventh overall but dominated one category.

Specifically, of the searches related to secretary costumes, 65.1% were for sexy versions, the highest percentage among the top 10 professions.

Teachers came in at 42.2% and nurses at 41.9%. Meanwhile, only 4.5% of cowboy costume searches specifically sought sexy versions. Apparently simply putting on the cowboy hat does most of the heavy lifting.

What does this actually tell us?

These rankings should be taken for what they are: an analysis of search behavior rather than a controlled survey asking Americans which professions they find attractive.

Drew Renna, Head of Brand and Creators at Hidden, argues that's part of what makes the results interesting. What people search for privately and what they'll admit out loud are two very different things, Renna said.

There are obviously many reasons someone might perform one of these searches, so the results shouldn't be interpreted as definitive proof of what Americans find attractive.

So maybe Van Halen didn't need 700 search terms and five years of Google Trends data after all. They figured it out back in 1984.

Rising costs are prompting shoppers to think not just about what they buy, but when they buy it

• More consumers are timing purchases around sales as rising costs make shoppers more cautious about when they spend.

• Parents are finding new ways to cut back on back-to-school costs, including reusing supplies, buying fewer items, shopping secondhand, and taking advantage of major sales.

• Combining discounts, cash back, and credit card rewards can help shoppers save, but consumers should compare prices and make sure rewards outweigh any potential interest or fees.

With prices continuing to put pressure on household budgets, shoppers are finding new ways to make their money go further. That can mean comparing retailers, looking for cash-back opportunities, or simply holding off on a purchase until a better deal comes along.

According to a recent Smarty survey, 63% of parents are concerned about rising costs as back-to-school shopping approaches.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Vipin Porwal, CEO and consumer expert at Smarty, who explained that shoppers are becoming more strategic about the timing of their purchases, using sales and other discounts not only to save money today, but also to prepare for the possibility of higher prices down the road.

What did the survey find?

The survey, conducted by Propeller Insights and commissioned by Smarty, included 1,019 U.S. citizens ages 18 and older across the country in July 2026. The responses were nationally representative of the U.S. population based on age, gender, region, and ethnicity.

The findings highlight just how much rising costs are weighing on families heading into the new school year. Sixty-three percent of parents said they were concerned about rising costs, while families also expected to spend more on back-to-school shopping.

At the same time, shoppers are looking for new ways to save, suggesting that consumers are becoming more deliberate about where and when they spend their money.

Parents are buying less

Porwal explained that one of the biggest trends emerging this back-to-school season is buying fewer items overall.

Parents are shifting their spending habits to save more when possible, he said. According to Smartys recent survey, 36% of parents plan to reuse last years school supplies if possible, and 30% plan to purchase fewer supplies than last year.

Parents are also turning to other ways to save, including purchasing secondhand items and capitalizing on sales or tentpole savings days such as Amazon Prime Day.

Top ways to save

Despite rising prices and a seemingly endless list of back-to-school supplies, there are ways for parents to make the most of their purchases during this season.

To get the most savings, shoppers can look to combine sale prices with retailer coupons, cash back, and credit card rewards, Porwal said. Parents should keep in mind all the items on their shopping list so they can strategize how to combine savings with rewards.

The biggest resource is knowing when to buy. If a purchase can wait, it offers the best opportunity to stack sales, coupons, and credit card rewards to maximize benefits.

Porwal recommends that if youre planning to use credit card rewards, they typically only help if the interest and fees don't outweigh the savings.

Parents should prioritize cards they can pay off in full, he said.

Know when the time is right

His final piece of advice: time your shopping trips right to make the most of your purchases.

Getting the best deals is going to be a combination of shopping when the time is right and taking advantage of rewards, Porwal said. For example, shoppers should plan to leverage the sales, but paying attention to the price before the sale is critical. This will make sure you are getting the best deal.

Prime Air is expanding rapidly, giving more shoppers a faster way to get everyday items delivered

• Amazon plans to expand Prime Air drone delivery to nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026.

• Millions of eligible items, including groceries, electronics, and household products, can arrive in as little as 30 minutes.

• Drone delivery is already available in parts of seven states, with new locations including Syracuse, New York, planned soon.

Getting an Amazon package delivered to your door could soon look a little different.

Amazon says its Prime Air drone delivery service is expanding to nearly 500 cities and towns across the U.S. by the end of 2026. That's roughly six times the size of its current footprint and could bring the service to tens of millions of customers.

Customers already turn to Amazon for fast Same- and Next-Day Delivery, and Prime Air provides them an even speedier option when they need it, with deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air, said in a news release.

We've already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to customers by drone this year, and by the end of 2026 we plan to reach customers in nearly 500 cities and towns. We're pairing the convenience of ultrafast drone delivery with the low prices and selection customers love about Amazon.

Here's how Prime Air works

The service currently operates from 11 locations across 10 U.S. metro areas, including parts of Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. Each Prime Air site makes deliveries in an area of approximately 175 square miles.

Amazon says it plans to launch in the Chicago, Syracuse, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Boise metro areas soon, with additional communities expected later this year.

The selection is also broader than you might expect. Eligible products include groceries, medications, cosmetics, electronics, and household goods. Nearly all items weighing fice pounds or less that can fit inside a large shoebox are eligible, according to Amazon. That represents more than 60% of the items customers most frequently purchase from the site.

While deliveries can arrive in 30 minutes, most take around an hour.

There are delivery fees, too. Prime members get free drone delivery on orders of $50 or more, while orders under $50 have a $2.99 fee. Non-Prime customers pay $4.99.

What this means for shoppers

For consumers who live in an eligible area, Prime Air could provide another option when waiting for a traditional delivery isn't ideal. The experience works through Amazon's existing app and checkout process, and customers choose their preferred delivery point when placing their first drone order.

Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles, while a Detect-and-Avoid system monitors the surrounding airspace. The drones are fully electric, and Amazon says their onboard cameras process navigation data without tracking individuals or recording their movements.

The biggest catch for now is availability. Even within a listed ZIP code, not every address is necessarily eligible. But as Amazon expands the service, more shoppers may find that a package delivered by drone is an option at checkout.

The streaming service has increased prices across all six plans, with existing subscribers seeing the change at their next eligible billing date

• Peacocks monthly plans increased by $1 to $3, depending on the tier.

• Annual plans now cost between $89.99 and $199.99 per year.

• Existing subscribers and promotional customers can keep their current pricing until their next billing date or offer expires.

Peacock subscribers are paying more for their subscriptions. Effective August 18, 2026, the streaming service changed the prices for all of its subscription plans.

The increases apply to both monthly and annual plans, although exactly when the new price takes effect depends on when you subscribed. New and returning subscribers receive the new pricing immediately. If you subscribed before August 18, the new price takes effect on your next billing date on or after September 17, 2026.

If you want to check your current subscription type and upcoming billing date, you can find that information in the Subscriptions tab of your Peacock account.

How much do Peacock plans cost now?

Heres a breakdown:

• Peacock Select now costs $8.99 per month, up from $7.99, or $89.99 per year, up from $79.99.

• The Premium plan increased from $10.99 to $12.99 per month. Its annual price went from $109.99 to $129.99 per year.

• Premium Plus saw the largest increase. The monthly price rose from $16.99 to $19.99, while the annual price increased from $169.99 to $199.99.

Peacock says the price changes will allow it to continue creating what it describes as the best experience for viewers, remain competitive in the marketplace, and deliver unique content across genres.

What the price increase means for current subscribers

If you're already a Peacock subscriber, you don't necessarily have to pay the higher price immediately. Current annual subscribers will keep their existing pricing until their plans expire. Similarly, customers who are using promotional offers that began before August 18 will keep their promotional pricing until the offer ends. After that, subscriptions will renew at the new price.

Peacock says existing users will be notified of the price change by email. If you didn't receive an email, you can check your account to make sure the correct email address is listed.

If the higher price changes your mind, you can cancel through the Subscriptions tab by selecting "Cancel All Subscriptions."

You can also switch between monthly and annual billing for an existing directly billed subscription. Depending on your plan, the change may not take effect until the end of your current billing cycle. However, if you're currently receiving promotional pricing, switching plans will cause you to lose that promotional price.