HomeUS Teens Increasingly Seek Emotional Support from AI
Artificial intelligence chatbots are now a familiar part of daily life for many American teenagers, a new Pew Research Center report reveals.
While the top uses for AI among teens are finding information (57%) and getting homework assistance (54%), many are also turning to AI for roles traditionally filled by friends or family. About 16% of U.S. teens say they chat casually with AI, and 12% use these tools to seek emotional support or personal advice.
Some young people may find comfort in these conversations, but mental health experts express concern. General-purpose AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are not built for such sensitive interactions. In severe cases, engaging with them can lead to dangerous psychological consequences.
"Humans are inherently social. A significant risk with these systems is that they can foster isolation," Dr. Nick Haber, a Stanford professor studying the therapeutic applications of large language models, recently told TechCrunch. "There are numerous cases where people interact with these tools and become disconnected—both from factual reality and from meaningful human relationships. This disconnection can lead to profoundly isolating, and sometimes far worse, outcomes."
Image Credits: Pew Research Center The Pew survey also highlights a gap between how much teens say they use AI and their parents' awareness of it. Roughly 51% of parents believe their teenager uses chatbots, compared to 64% of teens who report doing so.
Most parents are comfortable with their teens using AI for research (79%) or schoolwork (58%). Far fewer approve of its use for casual talk (28%) or emotional support (18%). In fact, 58% of parents explicitly disapprove of their child using AI for such personal purposes.
AI safety remains a fiercely debated issue in the tech industry. Character.AI, a popular chatbot platform, responded to public concern and lawsuits—including those linked to teen suicides following extensive chats with its bots—by blocking access for users under 18. Separately, OpenAI discontinued its overly flattering GPT-4o model, a move that upset users who had come to depend on it for companionship and support.
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Boston, MA | June 9, 2026REGISTER NOWWhile most teens use AI chatbots to some degree, their views on the technology's societal impact are divided. When asked about AI's influence over the next two decades, 31% of teens foresee a net positive effect, while 26% predict a negative one.
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Artificial intelligence chatbots are now a familiar part of daily life for many American teenagers, a new Pew Research Center report reveals.
While the top uses for AI among teens are finding information (57%) and getting homework assistance (54%), many are also turning to AI for roles traditionally filled by friends or family. About 16% of U.S. teens say they chat casually with AI, and 12% use these tools to seek emotional support or personal advice.
Some young people may find comfort in these conversations, but mental health experts express concern. General-purpose AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are not built for such sensitive interactions. In severe cases, engaging with them can lead to dangerous psychological consequences.
"Humans are inherently social. A significant risk with these systems is that they can foster isolation," Dr. Nick Haber, a Stanford professor studying the therapeutic applications of large language models, recently told TechCrunch. "There are numerous cases where people interact with these tools and become disconnected—both from factual reality and from meaningful human relationships. This disconnection can lead to profoundly isolating, and sometimes far worse, outcomes."
The Pew survey also highlights a gap between how much teens say they use AI and their parents' awareness of it. Roughly 51% of parents believe their teenager uses chatbots, compared to 64% of teens who report doing so.
Most parents are comfortable with their teens using AI for research (79%) or schoolwork (58%). Far fewer approve of its use for casual talk (28%) or emotional support (18%). In fact, 58% of parents explicitly disapprove of their child using AI for such personal purposes.
AI safety remains a fiercely debated issue in the tech industry. Character.AI, a popular chatbot platform, responded to public concern and lawsuits—including those linked to teen suicides following extensive chats with its bots—by blocking access for users under 18. Separately, OpenAI discontinued its overly flattering GPT-4o model, a move that upset users who had come to depend on it for companionship and support.
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Boston, MA | June 9, 2026REGISTER NOWWhile most teens use AI chatbots to some degree, their views on the technology's societal impact are divided. When asked about AI's influence over the next two decades, 31% of teens foresee a net positive effect, while 26% predict a negative one.
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