Artificial intelligence is now part of daily life for many young people, and teen mental health and AI chatbots are increasingly intertwined. Two new national surveys report that nearly two-thirds of tweens and teens use AI chatbots, most often for homework help, companionship and emotional support. Certain usage patterns, however, were associated with worse mental health symptoms, according to researchers.
One survey from online safety advocates found AI use begins well before the common minimum age of 13 on major platforms. Nearly half of 9-to-12-year-olds have tried an AI chatbot or companion, and by age 13, nearly three-quarters have used the tools.
The other survey, conducted by the JED Foundation, reported that 90% of 5,500 students ages 9 to 17 across U.S. schools had used an AI chatbot. Nearly two-thirds said they use it for both schoolwork and as a companion, or during times of stress, loneliness, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed.
The scope of adoption is striking, said University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill developmental psychologist Anne Maheux, who was not involved in the surveys. She noted that the share of kids using AI for schoolwork now closely mirrors the share using it for emotional support.
Students described a range of practical and emotional uses. A 15-year-old in Texas said he prompts chatbots to generate sample test questions and to clarify concepts outside class, using both ChatGPT and Gemini. A 17-year-old in Massachusetts said she leans on chatbots to prioritize tasks when she feels overloaded, and to get writing feedback before revising her work. Teens also said they sometimes turn to chatbots when anxious about exams or grades.
Teen mental health and AI chatbots
JED Foundation researchers also measured students’ well-being and mental health indicators.
“We were able to look at how young people are using AI and then how that correlates separately with indicators of well-being, history of suicidal ideation and attempts, and poor mental health,” said Kayla Anderson, the foundation’s vice president of research and evaluation.
Students who said they used AI while in emotional distress were more likely to report poorer mental health and well-being, as well as a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts. Anderson cautioned that the findings do not establish cause and effect.
“It’s unclear, based on these data, whether AI use is contributing to poor mental health and well-being, or whether students who are already in distress are more likely to turn to AI,” she said.
Preliminary findings from other researchers suggest the relationship may run both ways, Maheux said. In a forthcoming UNC study of middle schoolers in one state, students who used chatbots for companionship grew lonelier over time. Similar patterns appeared in a study of young adults, where those using AI primarily for companionship or who felt overreliant on AI to address emotional or cognitive problems saw worsening mental health over time.
One possible explanation, Maheux said, is that AI can soothe immediate feelings of loneliness, anxiety or stress, but frequent reliance may crowd out opportunities for young people to build coping skills for everyday challenges. Over time, that can contribute to poorer mental health outcomes, she said.
For more reporting on challenges facing young people in schools, read Why the special education teacher shortage persists.
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