Are AI Chatbots Healthy for Teens?

Kids crave approval from their peers. Chatbots offer an alternative to real-life relationships, but they can come at a price

- BY ELIZABETH ENGLANDER

RELATIONSHIPS ARE MESSY, whether you are an adult with lots of experience or a kid navigating tough times with a best friend, boyfriend or girlfriend. You can’t predict moods, interests or desires. For teens learning the ins and outs of relationships for the first time, disagreements, fights and breakups can be crushing.

But what if your teen’s best friend weren’t human? It may seem far-fetched, but it’s not. A recent report from Common Sense Media says 72 percent of teens surveyed have used artificial-intelligence chatbot companions, and 33 percent have relationships or friendships with them.

The language that AI companions use, the responses they offer and the empathy they exude can make a user think they truly understand and sympathize. These chatbots can make someone feel liked or even loved. They are programmed to give users the experience of a real connection. And adolescents have a natural interest in romance and sexuality; if they feel ignored by the kids in their high school, well, now on the nearest screen there is a hot girlfriend who is constantly fascinated by them and their video games or a supercute boyfriend whom they never have to engage in small talk with to form a bond.

This may be perplexing to some parents, but if your child is navigating the complex worlds of technology, social media and AI, the likelihood of their being curious about an AI companion is pretty high. Here’s what you need to know to guide them.