Surveys show most U.S. youth now use AI chatbots for school and emotional support

Artificial intelligence tools have moved from novelty to necessity in the daily routines of American students. Two new surveys released this month provide the first large-scale look at how extensively children and teenagers are integrating these systems into their academic and personal lives.

The data reveals that chatbot usage is no longer limited to older high school students. Common Sense Media, an online safety advocacy group, found that nearly half of all children between the ages of 9 and 12 have used an AI chatbot or companion. This occurs years before they reach the minimum age of 13 required by most popular platforms. By the time adolescents reach 13, the survey found that nearly three-quarters have already used these technologies.

The JED Foundation, a mental health advocacy group, surveyed 5,500 students aged 9 to 17 in schools across the country. Their results showed that 90 percent of those students have used an AI chatbot. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported using the tools for dual purposes, specifically for schoolwork and as companions or sources of support when feeling stressed, lonely, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Anne Maheux, a developmental psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was not involved in the surveys, described the findings as remarkable. She noted that the shift has happened rapidly. "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 describe specific workflows for their daily tasks. Arjun Sharda, a 15-year-old in Round Rock, Texas, uses both OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, though he currently prefers the latter. He uses the tools to generate sample test questions and to understand concepts outside of the classroom. "I use it to make myself practice sample questions," Sharda said. "I use it to understand concepts outside of the classroom."

McKenzie Craig, 17, from Raynham, Massachusetts, has used chatbots since eighth grade. She employs the technology to prioritize tasks when she feels overwhelmed with assignments. "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."

The JED Foundation researchers also examined the relationship between these usage patterns and mental health indicators. Kayla Anderson, the vice president of research and evaluation at the JED Foundation, explained that they looked at how usage correlates with well-being, history of suicidal ideation, and poor mental health. "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."

Anderson cautioned that the data do not establish a direct causal link. It remains unclear whether AI use contributes to poor mental health or whether students already in distress are more likely to turn to these tools. Maheux suggested that the relationship may be bidirectional. "So kids who do have worse mental health are seeking out AI to help them," she said. "But that AI use may be exacerbating those mental health challenges instead of helping."

A study of middle schoolers in one state, which is soon to be published, found that students who use chatbots for companionship grew lonelier over time. Maheux and her colleagues at UNC observed similar results in a separate study of young adults. They found that individuals using AI heavily for companionship or relying on it to solve emotional and cognitive problems developed worse mental health over time. Maheux explained that while AI may ease immediate distress, reliance on the technology might prevent young people from developing the skills to tolerate normal daily stresses, leading to worse long-term mental health.