# Most US tweens and teens now use AI chatbots, and many turn to them when they are struggling

URL: https://ai-pulse.aglaganova.com/blog/most-us-tweens-and-teens-now-use-ai-chatbots-and-many-turn-to-them-when-they-are-struggling
Published: 2026-10-31
Author: Roman Aglaganov, Full-stack developer
Category: Research
Region: North America
Tags: safety

> Two new surveys find that AI use starts years before the usual minimum age of 13. One links using chatbots during emotional distress with worse mental health, but cannot say which comes first.

![Illustration: a cluster of small grey speech bubbles around a simple black phone outline, with one red bubble close to the screen](https://ai-pulse.aglaganova.com/api/media/file/teens-chatbots-1.png)

Two new surveys, reported by NPR on 30 October, suggest that chatbots have become an ordinary part of growing up in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of tweens and teens use them, NPR reports, most often for schoolwork, but also for company and emotional support.

## Starting early

Common Sense Media, an online safety advocacy group, found that use begins well before 13, the minimum age for most popular chatbots. Nearly half of 9- to 12-year-olds have used an AI chatbot or companion, and by 13 nearly three-quarters have.

The JED Foundation, a mental health charity, surveyed 5,560 middle and high school students in 21 US schools between October 2025 and April 2026. According to NPR, 90% had used an AI chatbot, and nearly two-thirds used one both for schoolwork and as a companion, or when they felt stressed, lonely, anxious or overwhelmed.

## The link with mental health

JED found that students who use AI while emotionally struggling report worse mental health and well-being, and a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts. Its report is careful about what that means. The data are a snapshot and the sample is not nationally representative, so “it is unclear whether AI use contributes to poorer well-being or whether students already in distress are more likely to turn to AI.”

Anne Maheux, a developmental psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was not involved in either survey, told NPR the effect may run both ways. In a study of middle schoolers that has not yet been published, she and her colleagues found that students who used chatbots for companionship grew lonelier over time. One possible explanation, she said, is that a chatbot eases loneliness or anxiety in the moment but stops young people from building the skills to cope with everyday stress.

## What it means for parents

The surveys do not show that chatbots harm children, but they do show that children are using them for more than homework, and younger than the rules intend. JED has published guidance for parents on talking to children about chatbots and setting limits. If you or someone you know is in crisis in the US, you can call or text 988.

## Sources

- [NPR: Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows](https://www.npr.org/2026/10/30/nx-s1-6022278/ai-artificial-intelligence-teens-jed-common-sense-media)
- [The Jed Foundation: Understanding relationships between AI use and mental health among middle and high school students](https://jedfoundation.org/understanding-relationships-between-ai-mental-health-students-report/)