Teens, Tech and AI: Study Shows Widespread Chatbot Use and Constant Connectivity – Movieguide
By Michaela Gordoni
A recent Pew Research study revealed over two-thirds of U.S. teens use chatbots, one-third use them daily, 1 in 5 teens are on YouTube or TikTok “almost constantly,” and four in ten teens are always online.
The study was conducted on 1,458 teens ages 13-17. Nine in ten teens reported ever using YouTube. Slightly over half of teens use Snapchat, and six in ten say they use TikTok and Instagram.
Girls are more likely to favor Snapchat and Instagram, whereas boys prefer Reddit and YouTube. In 2022, 16% of teens said they are on TikTok almost constantly. In 2025, it’s 21%. Teen boys (20%) said they are on YouTube almost constantly, and 13% of girls said the same.
About 16% of teens say they use AI chatbots several times per day or “almost constantly.” Most (59%) chatbot users use ChatGPT, while 23% use Gemini. Fewer say they use Meta AI, Claude, Copilot and Character.ai. Older teens were more likely to use ChatGPT and Meta AI.
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Nearly all teens (97%) say they use the internet every day, and 40% say they are always online. In 2015, 92% of teens said they use the internet every day, and only 24% said they were always online.
Caution needs to be exerted when it comes to teens and chatbots, especially chatbot companions.
Common Sense Media found that 72% of teens have used AI companions. Michael Robb, lead author of the study and head of research at Common Sense Media, noted that chatbots are sycophantic.
“They want to please you, and they won’t put up a lot of friction in the way that people in the real world might.” So in the real world, “when you encounter friction or difficulty in real world interactions, you’re going to be less prepared,” he said.
Rand policy researcher Ryan K. McBain noted that many teens use chatbots like therapists, which sounds bad on the surface. But, “Used responsibly, A.I. chatbots could offer scalable, affordable support and crisis outreach, especially in communities lacking mental health infrastructure. But such uses require rigorous scientific evaluation and regulatory guardrails.”
“One example is Therabot, designed by Dartmouth College researchers,” McBain said. “In a randomized controlled trial completed earlier this year, adult participants who used Therabot reported significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and weight concerns,” but, “They also expressed a strong sense of connection to the chatbot.”
There are already several lawsuits in the works against AI companies from parents whose teens committed suicide or self-harmed after extensive chatbot interactions.
Children and teens are a vulnerable population, so parents and children need to step with caution when they enter chatbot territory.
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