Nine in 10 Kids Have Used an AI Chatbot. The Ones Using It When They're Stressed Aren't Doing Better

Two new surveys, covered by NPR, say AI chatbots are now a normal part of being a kid. The JED Foundation surveyed 5,500 students ages 9 to 17 and found 90% have used one. Common Sense Media found nearly half of 9-to-12-year-olds have, which is before the minimum age of 13 on most popular chatbots. By 13, it's nearly three-quarters.

Most kids use it for school. But nearly two-thirds use it both for homework and as a companion when they're stressed, lonely or anxious. A 17-year-old in Raynham told NPR she uses it to prioritize when she's overwhelmed and to get feedback on essays. That's the useful version.

Here's the part parents should read twice. JED found kids who turn to AI when they're in emotional distress report worse mental health and more history of suicidal thoughts and attempts. JED's research VP said it's unclear which way that runs. A UNC researcher told NPR it may go both ways, and her upcoming study found middle schoolers who used chatbots for companionship grew lonelier over time.

Dez's take: I'm not going to tell you to take the phone. Kids are going to use these things. But a chatbot that's always available and always agreeable is not a friend, and if your kid is asking a computer "Will I be OK?" at midnight, that's a conversation you want to be having instead.

What we still don't know: whether the chatbot is making kids lonelier, or lonely kids are finding the chatbot.