AI and Teens: Usage Trends and Mental Health Effects

Question: How do teens use AI? How does using AI affect their mental health? 

Answer: With all the recent media coverage on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how often teens use it, we’re glad you asked this question. While AI might feel like a new technology because of the increase in interest and focus by almost everyone, it has actually been a part of our digital lives for years. In fact, most people, including teens, interact with AI to some degree every day, even though they may not realize it. For example, predictive text in messages, chatbots on online banking or shopping websites, algorithms in social media feeds, and personalized shopping or music recommendations are all examples of AI. 

What is newer, however, is Generative AI (GenAI), which can quickly create new content like music, art, computer code, songs and more. Because there are several types of AI tools that teens might encounter in their daily lives, it can help to understand some key terms:  

• Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of artificial intelligence that can generate text, images, or sound, based on patterns learned from large amounts of data. 
• GenAI Chatbots are computer programs or apps that use AI to simulate human-like conversations, responding to user input in real-time. These tools are commonly used for searching for information, helping with schoolwork, and working on creative projects. Popular examples include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Microsoft Co-Pilot. Some social media platforms have also built chatbots directly into their apps. For example, Snapchat has a built-in My AI, and Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook use MetaAI. 
• GenAI companions are a type of AI chatbot that act like digital friends, romantic partners, or characters that you can text or talk with whenever you want. Unlike regular AI assistants that mainly answer questions, search for information, or complete tasks, companions are designed to have conversations that feel personal and meaningful. Examples include CHAI, Character.AI, Nomi, and Replika. Some people may also use general tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini as companions, even though they were not designed for that purpose.  
• Hallucinations: Information that GenAI presents as a fact but is not true, for example, giving the wrong dates or suggesting something that doesn’t exist.  
• Sycophancy: GenAI has a tendency to overuse flattery and affirmation towards its users, also called sycophancy. This approach means it may prioritize agreeing with a user over facts or objectivity.  

How many teens use GenAI? 

Teens are often early adopters of new technologies, and AI is no different. Research shows that about two-thirds of teens aged 12-17 report using AI tools and almost 3 in 4 have used AI companions. In another study, researchers found that about one-third of youth use GenAI apps specifically (not including browser-based activities), including 50.4% of 15-17-year-olds, 42.0% of 13-14-year-olds and 20.5% of 10–12-year-olds. While most only check in with these tools for seconds or minutes a day, a small number used them for more than 40 minutes each day. 

In what ways do teens use GenAI?  

Recent research from Pew Research Center found that: 

• Close to 60% of teens use chatbots to search for facts or information 
• Over 50% of teens use it for help with schoolwork or assignments* 
• Almost half of teens use it for fun or entertainment 
• Around 40% of teens use it to summarize materials like books and videos or to create or edit images and videos 

*A separate RAND survey of students in middle, high school, and post-secondary school (college/university) also found the percentage of students who use AI for homework increased from 48% in May 2025 to 62% in December 2025. 

What does this mean for teens and families? 

We are still learning about GenAI and the effects it has on users, both positive and negative, especially as AI capabilities continue to grow and evolve. 

Many of the ways that teens use AI can be positive additions to their lives. GenAI can be used in fun, creative, and educational ways, and it has the potential to support communication and personalized learning. At the same time, there are potential risks around learning and critical thinking. A yearlong study by the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution concluded that, given the current trajectory of GenAI and how it is being used, the potential risks to students may overshadow the benefits. 

Teens themselves have expressed concerns about the use of GenAI. They report being somewhat or very concerned about:  

• AI collecting their personal information without their knowledge (76%) 
• Their data being misused (72%) 
• AI impersonating kids and teens (72%) 
• AI giving them inaccurate or biased information (68%) 

Additionally, the RAND survey found that 67% of students believe that the more students use AI for school work, the more it harms their critical thinking.  

AI and Mental Health 

A study among U.S. youth aged 12-21 years old found that about 13.1% used AI chatbots for mental health advice, rising to 22.2% for those 18 and older. Of those who have used a chatbot for this purpose, almost all (92.7%) found the advice somewhat or very helpful.  

A separate review of studies explored how effective AI chatbots are in alleviating mental distress and reducing risky health behaviors among adolescents and young adults 15-39 years old. The researchers found that:  

• Using AI chatbots provided small reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect (generally feeling negative emotions), and psychosomatic problems (physical symptoms caused or made worse by mental health concerns) 
• Chatbot use also showed a small boost in how satisfied young people feel with their lives, but did not appear to increase daily "happiness" or make people feel more confident in their own abilities.  
• Chatbots that use pre-written (scripted) answers gave steady, predictable, reliable results, while results from GenAI chatbots were more variable.  

While GenAI chatbots show some promise, there is not enough evidence to say definitively whether they can be helpful to young people’s mental health. 

What are the concerns around mental health? 

While some youth report high satisfaction with these tools, there are limitations and risks that are important to understand: 

General chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude were not created to provide mental health care. The American Psychological Association issued a health advisory noting that these tools were not designed to give clinical feedback, often lack expert oversight or safety protocols, and haven't gone through the same testing as medical tools. Because AI is mainly trained on content for and by adults, it might not "get" how kids talk, what they worry about, or what they need as they grow up.  

In an evaluation, GenAI psychotherapy chatbots used by youth were rated by expert reviewers as being easily accessible but poor on actual therapeutic methods and safety risk assessments. This means youth might receive mental health advice from chatbots that is not appropriate for their needs and may actually cause harm. Bots also frequently hallucinate (make up content) and do not handle mental health emergencies properly.  

There are also concerns that GenAI responses lack empathy and can give biased or incorrect information, making it a worrisome substitute for human caregivers or clinicians. Because these tools are designed to keep users engaged through flattery and validation, youth may mistake them for true friends and pull away from the real-life relationships they need for healthy development. 

Tips and Resources for Parents/Caregivers 

Review these tips and resources to help you navigate and explore GenAI together with your child. 

• Talk about it. Surveys show that many teens are already thinking critically about these tools. Their shared concerns and assessment of benefits and risks can make for a great discussion. These resources below can help you start that conversation: 
  • The 5 Cs of Media Use is a resource that can help you think about what might be developmentally appropriate for your child around social media and other technology, such as AI. When thinking about GenAI, three "Cs" are particularly important: Content, Crowding Out, and Communication. 
    • When it comes to “Content”, help your teen to focus their time on high-quality and reliable information. AI can sometimes present misinformation or inaccurate facts as truth, so help them learn to validate what they see or hear and not simply trust all content that a chatbot produces.  
    • If GenAI use is “Crowding Out” other important health behaviors for your teen, like engaging with friends in person, help them crowd back in important behaviors, such as getting exercise or socializing with friends. 
    • Take time to “Communicate” about the use of GenAI with your child. This is an emerging technology and it’s important to have open conversations with family, friends, educators, and others. Families can explore GenAI together with their teens by discussing their experiences with GenAI, including how they and their peers use it; examining their school or district policies around AI use and academic integrity; and talking about benefits, risks, and concerns. Not sure how to start the conversation? Consider adapting the 5 Cs Conversation Starters to focus on AI.  
• Educate yourself. Learn more about what GenAI is and how it works, its limitations, and risks. The better you understand GenAI, the easier it will be to have conversations with your child. Here are a few resources to help you and your child learn more about GenAI: 
  • AI Literacy Family Toolkit from Day of AI and Common Sense Media uses short videos, conversation cards, and hands-on activities to support families to build foundational AI knowledge.  
  • The Glossary of Digital Media Platforms includes an overview of ChatGPT, a popular GenAI chatbot, including suggestions for parent/caregiver supervision options. Note that GenAI is rapidly evolving and is only one of many GenAI platforms, so we encourage you to explore the privacy and safety settings of any platform your teen uses. 
  • #GoodforMEdia’s Guide for Teens: AI in the Digital World is a youth-led resource developed by #GoodforMEdia to help teens navigate AI responsibly. It teaches users how to understand AI tech, spot deepfakes, use tools for learning, and maintain healthy boundaries. While meant for teens, it may be a helpful resource for parents as well.  
• Set boundaries and expectations together. Use what you’ve learned together to outline expectations around GenAI use. You might consider including GenAI in your Family Media Plan to help you establish family-level expectations, boundaries, and rules around its use.  
  • As you talk, consider questions like:  
    • When is it appropriate to use a chatbot, and when is it not? 
    • What do I do if a chatbot responds with something concerning or scary? 
    • Can GenAI be used for schoolwork or homework, and if so, how?  
• Top Tips for Parents and Caregivers: This resource from the American Psychological Association provides tips on how parents and teens can communicate and set rules together. 

Tips and Resources for Educators  

Review these tips and resources to help you navigate and explore GenAI together with your students. 

Educate students about GenAI and chatbots. Help students to understand how chatbots may be helpful in the classroom or with schoolwork and what their limitations are.  

• AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6-12 and AI Basics for K-12 Teachers are collections of quick lessons (20 minutes or less) developed by Common Sense Media. They introduce AI concepts, use cases, and help students think critically about its social and ethical impacts. 

Establish expectations about how GenAI and chatbots can and cannot be used for schoolwork and homework. Share your school or district's policies around AI use. Be transparent about how you will use GenAI as their teacher when developing content or reviewing their work. 

• How to Handle AI in Schools from Common Sense Media provides educators with an overview of risks and opportunities, along with concrete actions for the classroom. 
• Day of AI Curriculum Resources, developed by MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education), is a Standards-Aligned Curriculum that covers all K-12 grade bands. Lessons are flexible and cover essential topics like What is AI, ethics, bias, and privacy. 

Learn More 

• Read A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper Prepare and Protect, a yearlong study by the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution which provides a framework for action for families, schools, companies, and governments.   
• Review these past portal responses about “deepfakes" (or AI-generated fake images): 
  • What are governments and the UN doing in order to demolish the problem of AI-generated deepfakes, incest, and non-ethical pornography?  
  • I’ve been hearing a lot about deepfakes and how apps are letting people create naked images of other people. What is this? Is it pornography and/or AI (artificial intelligence)? 
  • Is there any research on the psychological impacts of being a victim of synthetic sexual images (aka deepfake porn)? 

References 

• American Psychological Association (2026). Health advisory on the use of generative AI chatbots and wellness applications for mental health.   
• American Psychological Association (2025). Health advisory on AI and adolescent well-being.  
• Burns, M., Winthrop, R., Luther, N., Venetis, E., & Karim, R. (2026). A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, and protect. Brookings Institution, Center for Universal Education.  
• Chen, T. H., Chu, G., Pan, R. H., & Ma, W. F. (2025). Effectiveness of mental health chatbots in depression and anxiety for adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 22(3), 233–241.  
• Common Sense Media (2025). Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions.   
• Faverio, M., & Sidoti, O. (2025, December 9). Teens, social media and AI chatbots 2025. Pew Research Center.   
• Feng, X., Tian, L., Ho, G. W. K., Yorke, J., & Hui, V. (2025). The effectiveness of AI chatbots in alleviating mental distress and promoting health behaviors among adolescents and young adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, Article e79850.    
• Grundmeier, R. W., Fiks, A. G., Jenssen, B. P., Proctor, S. N., Ferro, D. F., & Johnson, K. B. (2026). Generative Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Families and Pediatricians. Pediatrics, 157(4), e2025074912.   
• Lake, C., Gormley, C., Snell, A., Vinyard, I., Tate, L., Gillett, M., Anderson, K. S., O'Neil, E., Mann, S., & Robb, M. B. (2026). Generation AI: What kids and families think about AI. Common Sense Media. 
• Maheux, A. J., Akre-Bhide, S., Boeldt, D., Flannery, J. E., Richardson, Z., Burnell, K., Telzer, E. H., & Kollins, S. H. (2026). Generative artificial intelligence applications use among US youth. JAMA Network Open, 9(2), Article e2556631. 
• Mansoor, M., Hamide, A., & Tran, T. (2025). Conversational AI in Pediatric Mental Health: A Narrative Review. Children, 12(3), 359.  
• McBain, R. K., Bozick, R., Diliberti, M., Zhang, L. A., Zhang, F., Burnett, A., Kofner, A., Rader, B., Breslau, J., Stein, B. D., Mehrotra, A., Pines, L. U., Cantor, J., & Yu, H. (2025). Use of Generative AI for Mental Health Advice Among US Adolescents and Young Adults. JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2542281.  
• McClain, C., Anderson, M., Sidoti, O., & Bishop, A. (2026, February 24). How teens use and view AI. Pew Research Center.   
• Schwartz, S., & Diliberti, M. K. (2026). More students use AI for homework, and more believe it harms critical thinking. RAND Corporation.  
• Sobowale, K., Humphrey, D. K., & Zhao, S. Y. (2025). Evaluating generative AI psychotherapy chatbots used by youth: Cross-sectional study. JMIR Mental Health, 12, Article e79838.  
• Zhang, Q., Zhang, R., Xiong, Y., Sui, Y., Tong, C., & Lin, F.-H. (2025). Generative AI mental health chatbots as therapeutic tools: Systematic review and meta-analysis of their role in reducing mental health issues. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, Article e78238.  

Age: 10-24 

Topics: Healthy digital media use, digital citizenship, GenAI, AI, artificial intelligence, youth, mental health     

Role: Educator, Parent/Caregiver