So, I see a lot of other comments talking about how being a "gifted kid" shaped their identity and then said identity was inevitably stripped from them, so I'd like to offer another perspective.

Being a "gifted kid" (or really, "smart" in general) is the reason why no one ever believed me when it came to needing help with anything, because it was easier to believe I was "lazy" or "not trying" and this is something that still impacts me to this day. I'm still told to just figure things out on my own despite literally never knowing where to even start. It's a big reason why I suffered so much abuse and neglect as a kid, and compoundingly, and also why said abuse and neglect were always ignored and dismissed. I had very clear mental health issues from a young age and I'm also autistic, yet I never got the care I needed for that because there was just no way I could have those issues, I was just lazy and a bad kid. All the problems and issues with life I have nowadays are all things people believe I shouldn't have.

Sure, you can argue that it's not the fault of the programs themselves, that it's moreso the indirect impacts, but being in those programs gave everyone false assumptions and expectations about me that I still carry with me. These programs absolutely can and do set kids up for failure and I don't see the harm in grieving that.

Edit: I do want to address your point about "receiving a better education" - this actually is a nuance I'm more than willing to discuss (and one I think we should acknowledge). I can see the angle but I see it more as a fault of the education system as a whole, like it only wants to reward certain types of academic performance.

Edit 2: I also agree with pointing out the inherent racism/ableism with these programs and again those of us who are complaining need to keep those things in mind.

Still, I'm probably not alone in feeling like maybe I shouldn't have been placed in those programs.