Teens And AI Companions - What You Need To Know
A new report says nearly three in four teens have used AI companions. Should you be worried?
"AI companions are emerging at a time when kids and teens have never felt more alone. This isn't just about a new technology — it's about a generation that's replacing human connection with machines, outsourcing empathy to algorithms, and sharing intimate details with companies that don't have kids' best interests at heart."
- Common Sense Media Founder and CEO .
The “Friends” In Your Teen’s Pocket
Common Sense Media recently released a new report called "Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions," which revealed widespread use of social AI companions among users ages 13-17. The report is quite stunning, especially when you consider that this technology is less than three years old.
Some of the key findings:
Seventy-two percent of teens have used AI companions at least once.
Over half use these platforms at least a few times a month.
About one in three teens:
Have used AI companions for social interaction and relationships, including role-playing, romantic interactions, emotional support, friendship, or conversation practice.
Have chosen AI companions over humans for serious conversations.
Find conversations with AI companions to be as satisfying or more satisfying than those with real-life friends.
About one in four teens:
Have shared personal information with these platforms.
About one in three teen AI companion users:
Have chosen to discuss important or serious matters with AI companions instead of real people.
Report feeling uncomfortable with something an AI companion has said or done.
Are These Companions Safe For Teens?
In April 2025, Common Sense Media published a “Comprehensive Social AI Companions Risk Assessment”, and its findings were pretty clear:
“While teens may initially turn to AI companions for entertainment and curiosity, these patterns demonstrate that the technology is already impacting teens' social development and real-world socialization.
Our findings of mental health risks, harmful responses and dangerous "advice," and explicit sexual role-play make these products unsuitable for minors.
For teens who are especially vulnerable to technology dependence — including boys, teens struggling with their mental health, and teens experiencing major life events and transitions — these products are especially risky.”
The risk assessment’s conclusion was unequivocal:
No one under 18 should use AI companions
Ok, What Should We Do?
In this new report, Common Sense Media pairs its research with several specific recommendations:
Tech companies must implement strong age-assurance systems and design AI products with kids' safety in mind.
Educators should take the lead on digital literacy to help kids safely navigate an AI-powered world.
Policymakers must set up clear, enforceable safeguards on kids' AI use.
Parents can start judgment-free conversations with their kids and set healthy boundaries.
What Can Parents Say?
Common Sense Media’s report emphasizes that open family conversations can make a difference in how kids approach these tools. It suggests that parents:
Start conversations about AI relationships by asking —without judgment—what platforms your teen uses and how they feel about AI versus human friendships.
Recognize warning signs of unhealthy AI companion usage, including social withdrawal, declining grades, and preference for AI companions over human interaction.
Learn about the specific risks for teens, including exposure to inappropriate material, privacy violations, and dangerous advice.
Explain that AI companions are designed to be engaging through constant validation and agreement—help your teen recognize this isn't genuine human feedback.
Ensure teens understand that AI companions cannot replace professional mental health support. Seek professional help if teens show signs of unhealthy attachment to AI companions.
Develop family media agreements that address AI companion usage alongside other digital activities.
What Can Schools And Educators Do?
Here’s Common Sense Media’s take on the role for schools: “Educational institutions have a responsibility to develop AI literacy curricula that address the specific risks of AI companions while building critical-thinking skills about artificial relationships and digital manipulation”. Specific suggestions for schools include:
Develop age-appropriate curricula that explain how AI companions are designed to create emotional attachment, and the difference between AI validation and genuine human feedback.
Establish clear policies around AI companion usage during school hours.
Integrate AI ethics education into existing digital literacy programs.
Train educators to identify specific problematic usage patterns, such as students discussing AI companions as "real friends," socially isolating during traditionally social activities, or reporting emotional distress when AI companions are unavailable.
Educate students about the privacy risks of sharing personal information with AI systems.
Establish protocols for supporting students who may be using AI companions instead of seeking professional help from a human for serious issues.
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Interesting article Chris - these insights from the Common Sense Media report are startling.
I do wonder though about the potential benefits of AI companions and whether it can help some young people develop communication and friendship skills to then strengthen relationships - and allow them to connect better with others - offline.