{"id":13341,"date":"2025-09-02T08:12:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=13341"},"modified":"2025-09-02T08:12:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:12:48","slug":"teens-say-they-are-turning-to-ai-for-friendship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/02\/teens-say-they-are-turning-to-ai-for-friendship\/","title":{"rendered":"Teens Say They Are Turning to AI for Friendship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
AI created image showing AI with the user<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My biggest problem with AI was they wanted your identity to use it in the beginning, and it was pretty clear that it was a data profile builder. Also, I’ve seen results which sometimes would be decent, but usually had some outright false information politely called hallucinations by those hocking the technology. I’ve also postulated AI could be related to the image of the beast<\/a> from the book of Revelation, and there have been reports of your personal AI yes man leading some people to psychosis<\/a>. Furthermore, AI could be opening you up to demonic interaction<\/a> where you’re giving them a lot of personal feedback as to how their manipulations are working with our human intellect being no match for supernatural beings. So young teens being influenced by AI unsupervised is a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ai-companion-generative-teens-mental-health-9ce59a2b250f3bd0187a717ffa2ad21f<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\"Bruce
Bruce Perry, 17, demonstrates the possibilities of artificial intelligence by creating an AI companion on Character AI, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Russellville, Ark. (AP Photo\/Katie Adkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0 JOCELYN GECKER<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No question is too small when Kayla Chege, a high school student in Kansas, is using artificial intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 15-year-old asks ChatGPT for guidance on back-to-school shopping, makeup colors<\/a>, low-calorie choices at Smoothie King, plus ideas for her Sweet 16 and her younger sister\u2019s birthday party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sophomore honors student makes a point not to have chatbots do her homework and tries to limit her interactions<\/a> to mundane questions. But in interviews with The Associated Press and a new study, teenagers say they are increasingly interacting with AI as if it were a companion, capable of providing advice and friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone uses AI for everything now. It\u2019s really taking over,\u201d said Chege, who wonders how AI tools will affect her generation. \u201cI think kids use AI to get out of thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past couple of years, concerns about cheating at school have dominated the conversation around kids and AI. But artificial intelligence is playing a much larger role in many of their lives. AI, teens say, has become a go-to source for personal advice, emotional support, everyday decision-making and problem-solving.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018AI is always available. It never gets bored with you\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More than 70% of teens have used AI companions and half use them regularly, according to a new study<\/a> from Common Sense Media, a group that studies and advocates for using screens and digital media sensibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study defines AI companions as platforms designed to serve as \u201cdigital friends,\u201d like Character. AI or Replika, which can be customized with specific traits or personalities and can offer emotional support, companionship and conversations that can feel human-like. But popular sites like ChatGPT and Claude, which mainly answer questions, are being used in the same way, the researchers say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bruce
Bruce Perry, 17, demonstrates Character AI, an artificial intelligence chatbot software that allows users to chat with popular characters such as EVE from Disney\u2019s 2008 animated film, WALL-E, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Russellville, Ark. (AP Photo\/Katie Adkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the technology rapidly gets more sophisticated, teenagers and experts worry about AI\u2019s potential to redefine human relationships and exacerbate crises of loneliness and youth mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI is always available. It never gets bored with you. It\u2019s never judgmental,\u201d says Ganesh Nair, an 18-year-old in Arkansas. \u201cWhen you\u2019re talking to AI, you are always right. You\u2019re always interesting. You are always emotionally justified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that used to be appealing, but as Nair heads to college this fall, he wants to step back from using AI. Nair got spooked after a high school friend who relied on an \u201cAI companion\u201d for heart-to-heart conversations with his girlfriend later had the chatbot write the breakup text ending his two-year relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat felt a little bit dystopian, that a computer generated the end to a real relationship,\u201d said Nair. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like we are allowing computers to replace our relationships with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many teens are using AI? New study stuns researchers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the Common Sense Media survey, 31% of teens said their conversations with AI companions were \u201cas satisfying or more satisfying\u201d than talking with real friends. Even though half of teens said they distrust AI\u2019s advice, 33% had discussed serious or important issues with AI instead of real people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those findings are worrisome, says Michael Robb, the study\u2019s lead author and head researcher at Common Sense, and should send a warning to parents, teachers and policymakers. The now-booming and largely unregulated AI industry<\/a> is becoming as integrated with adolescence as smartphones and social media are<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bruce
Bruce Perry, 17, shows his ChatGPT history at a coffee shop in Russellville, Ark., Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo\/Katie Adkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s eye-opening,\u201d said Robb. \u201cWhen we set out to do this survey, we had no understanding of how many kids are actually using AI companions.\u201d The study polled more than 1,000 teens nationwide in April and May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adolescence is a critical time for developing identity, social skills and independence, Robb said, and AI companions should complement \u2014 not replace \u2014 real-world interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf teens are developing social skills on AI platforms where they are constantly being validated, not being challenged, not learning to read social cues or understand somebody else\u2019s perspective, they are not going to be adequately prepared in the real world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nonprofit analyzed several popular AI companions in a \u201c risk assessment<\/a>,\u201d finding ineffective age restrictions and that the platforms can produce sexual material, give dangerous advice and offer harmful content. The group recommends that minors not use AI companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A concerning trend to teens and adults alike<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers and educators worry about the cognitive costs for youth who rely heavily on AI, especially in their creativity, critical thinking and social skills. The potential dangers of children forming relationships with chatbots gained national attention last year when a 14-year-old Florida boy died by suicide after developing an emotional attachment to a Character<\/a>. AI chatbot<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParents really have no idea this is happening,\u201d said Eva Telzer, a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. \u201cAll of us are struck by how quickly this blew up.\u201d Telzer is leading multiple studies on youth and AI, a new research area with limited data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telzer\u2019s research has found that children as young as 8 are using generative AI and also found that teens are using AI to explore their sexuality and for companionship. In focus groups, Telzer found that one of the top apps teens frequent is SpicyChat AI, a free role-playing app intended for adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many teens also say they use chatbots to write emails or messages to strike the right tone in sensitive situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the concerns that comes up is that they no longer have trust in themselves to make a decision,\u201d said Telzer. \u201cThey need feedback from AI before feeling like they can check off the box that an idea is OK or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bruce
Bruce Perry, 17, demonstrates using artificial intelligence software on his laptop during a break from summer camp Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Russellville, Ark. (AP Photo\/Katie Adkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arkansas teen Bruce Perry, 17, says he relates to that and relies on AI tools to craft outlines and proofread essays for his English class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you tell me to plan out an essay, I would think of going to ChatGPT before getting out a pencil,\u201d Perry said. He uses AI daily and has asked chatbots for advice in social situations, to help him decide what to wear and to write emails to teachers, saying AI articulates his thoughts faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perry says he feels fortunate that AI companions were not around when he was younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m worried that kids could get lost in this,\u201d Perry said. \u201cI could see a kid that grows up with AI not seeing a reason to go to the park or try to make a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other teens agree, saying the issues with AI and its effect on children\u2019s mental health are different from those of social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSocial media complemented the need people have to be seen, to be known, to meet new people,\u201d Nair said. \u201cI think AI complements another need that runs a lot deeper \u2014 our need for attachment and our need to feel emotions. It feeds off of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the new addiction,\u201d Nair added. \u201cThat\u2019s how I see it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My biggest problem with AI was they wanted your identity to use it in the beginning, and it was pretty clear that it was a data profile builder. Also, I’ve seen results which sometimes would be decent, but usually had some outright false information politely called hallucinations by those hocking the technology. I’ve also postulated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","category-world"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13341"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13344,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13341\/revisions\/13344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}