Nearly Two-Thirds of Tweens and Teens Now Use AI Chatbots

Two new surveys indicate that nearly two-thirds of American tweens and teens use artificial intelligence chatbots. The research shows that this technology has become a standard tool for students, serving purposes ranging from academic help to emotional companionship. The data also suggests that specific ways of using these tools may correlate with worse mental health symptoms.

Common Sense Media, an online safety advocacy group, found that AI use begins at young ages, often before the standard minimum age of 13 for many platforms. The survey determined that nearly half of children aged 9 to 12 have used an AI chatbot or companion. By age 13, that figure rises to nearly three-quarters of teens.

The JED Foundation, a mental health advocacy group, conducted a separate survey of 5,500 students aged 9 to 17 across schools in the United States. Ninety percent of these students reported using an AI chatbot. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents use the technology for both schoolwork and as a companion when they feel stressed, lonely, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Anne Maheux, a developmental psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, described the findings as remarkable given the short timeframe. Maheux, who was not involved in the surveys, noted that the shift in usage patterns has been rapid. "It seems like just a few years ago, no one was using" the technology, she said. "And now it seems like roughly the same number of kids using it for homework are using it to get emotional support or help with coping."

Students in Round Rock, Texas, and Raynham, Massachusetts, shared how they integrate chatbots into their daily routines. Arjun Sharda, 15, uses OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini to practice sample test questions and understand concepts outside of the classroom. He prefers Gemini lately. Sharda said he and his friends also turn to chatbots during times of stress. "With tests, for example," he said, "I was so scared of failing one of my first chemistry tests on conversions and moles that I kept asking ChatGPT 'Will I be OK? Will my GPA still be fine?'"

McKenzie Craig, 17, has used chatbots since eighth grade. She relies on them to prioritize tasks when overwhelmed and to grade her essays. "If I write an essay, I'll run it through either Grammarly or ChatGPT and have it graded, so to speak," Craig said. "It gives me feedback, and then I can edit accordingly."

Kayla Anderson, vice president of research and evaluation at the JED Foundation, explained that the survey measured well-being, history of suicidal ideation, and attempts alongside AI usage. "When young people are using AI, when they're in emotional distress," Anderson said, "they're more likely to report poor mental health and well-being outcomes." She cautioned that the data does not suggest a causal link, noting it is unclear if AI contributes to poor health or if distressed students simply turn to AI more often.

Maheux pointed to preliminary data from a soon-to-be-published study of middle schoolers that found students using chatbots for companionship grew lonelier over time. A separate study of young adults showed similar results for those who overrelied on AI for emotional or cognitive problems. Maheux suggested that while AI may ease immediate distress, reliance on the technology could prevent young people from developing skills to tolerate normal daily stresses, potentially leading to worse mental health over time.