AI's Impact on Young People

Overview

by Anna Fagan

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly accessible, the emotional and physical wellbeing of young people is compromised as a direct result of increasing adoption of AI-related technology in everyday life. Primarily, this trend is associated with AI tools designed to mimic conversation and affirm users, like generative chatbots and AI “companions.” Research from Common Sense Media, American Psychological Association (APA), and Newport Healthcare highlights the growing concerns for how AI use may exacerbate existing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and emotional dependency among adolescents. Unlike traditional news and social media platforms, AI companions simulate friendship, empathy, and emotional responsiveness. While these tools can appear to be supportive, they can also have the potential to cause psychological harm, spread misinformation, and exacerbate social biases.

Unlike parents and educators, AI companions lack any ability to recognize crisis situations, provide accurate mental-health guidance, or direct students toward help; with training, educators should be equipped to identify early warning signs of unhealthy AI use and guide students toward safer engagement strategies and tools.

AI poses mental health risks like emotional dependence, isolation, and worsening anxiety and depression. Common Sense Media’s review of social AI companions suggests that teens may struggle to separate human relations from attachments to AI, increasing the risk that users become dependent on artificial relationships. An APA Health Advisory on Artificial Intelligence and Adolescent Wellbeing shows that different adolescents react to content in different ways. Teens with preexisting anxiety and depression are particularly vulnerable. Studies from Newport Healthcare indicate that AI-generated content can reinforce self-evaluation and body-image concerns. 

Educators should watch for the following emotional and academic behavior changes linked to heavy AI-companion use: 

• clear withdrawal after time spent online

• avoidance of social interaction, 

• using AI repeatedly during school hours, and 

• changes in writing tone that mimic AI response.

In order to mitigate mental health risk associated with use of AI chatbots/companions, educators must be informed on critical engagement strategies. The American Psychological Association (APA) underscores the importance of explicitly discussing with students why AI cannot provide reliable emotional guidance. Parents and educators should work to help adolescents recognize clear limitations, like how chatbots lack emotional understanding and accuracy, and should interrogate students' assumptions that AI companions are “safe” or “trustworthy.” 

Newport Healthcare further emphasizes the significance of strengthening relationships between teachers and students, suggesting that it significantly reduces teens’ reliance on AI for comfort or validation. Transparent dialogue and intentional relationship building are as important as ever, and educators are a critical aspect of building AI awareness and creating a protective environment for students.

AI Companions & Youth Mental Health: What Parents & Educators Should Know

by Juliette Calderon, Charlotte McCarthy and Jacob Rabin

Social Media Toolkit 

Educate about the risks of AI to young people on social media. Right click on the images below to download and share on Instagram. Copy and past the captions. Images created by Keoni Vega. Captions by Carah Ong Whaley.