AI chatbots that act as friends, characters, or partners are now part of many teens’ lives. Curiosity, not panic, will tell you more about how your child uses them.
Published October 2026 · Last reviewed: October 18, 2026
In a national survey released by Common Sense Media in July 2025, 72% of U.S. teens said they had used an AI companion at least once, and over half used them a few times a month or more. About one in three teen users said they had talked with an AI companion about something serious instead of talking to a person, and about one in three said a companion had said or done something that made them uncomfortable.
Quick takeaways
- AI companions are chatbots built to feel like a friend, character, or partner.
- Many teens use them, often for comfort or advice.
- Risks include inappropriate content, emotional dependence, and sharing private information.
- Ask with curiosity, review app settings together, and keep real people in the loop.
What to know
Some apps are built specifically as companions, with a personality, a name, and memory of past chats. General assistants can also be used this way. Companions are designed to keep a user talking, and they tend to agree and offer constant reassurance. That can feel supportive to a lonely or anxious teen, but a chatbot is not a counselor and may give poor advice on serious topics.
Regulators are paying attention. In September 2025, the Federal Trade Commission opened an inquiry into seven companies offering AI chatbots, asking how they test for harm to children and teens, limit young users’ access, and use what people tell them. Common Sense Media’s own risk assessment recommends that no one under 18 use AI companion apps. Several services have since added age checks, teen modes, or parental controls, and some have restricted open-ended chat for minors. Features change quickly, so check each app your teen uses.
Anything typed into a chatbot may be stored and used by the company. Teens should treat it like posting to a stranger: no full names, addresses, school names, photos, or private family details.
What parents can do
- Ask what they use. “Have you tried any AI chat apps? Which ones do your friends use?” Ask to see one together.
- Check the age rating and settings. Look at the app store age rating, the app’s minimum age, and whether it offers a teen account or parental controls.
- Use your phone’s controls. Screen Time (iPhone) and Family Link (Android) can require approval before new apps are downloaded.
- Set the privacy rule. No personal details, photos, or passwords, ever.
- Watch for warning signs: secrecy about a particular app, pulling away from friends, distress when they cannot chat, or describing a chatbot as their closest relationship.
- Keep people in the loop. Make sure your teen has at least one adult besides you they can talk to about hard things: a relative, coach, or school counselor.
Talk about it
- “What do you like about it? What does it help with?”
- “Has it ever said something that felt weird or wrong?”
- “It is built to keep you talking. How can you tell when advice from it is not good advice?”
- “If something is really bothering you, I want to hear about it, even if it is easier to tell the app first.”
When to get more help
If your teen talks about self-harm or seems in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If a chatbot conversation turned sexual with a minor, or an app was used to pressure your child, save screenshots and report it to the app and to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org. For ongoing worry about withdrawal or dependence, talk to your pediatrician or a counselor.
Free printable
- Conversation Starters by Age (PDF): Short, low-pressure questions for the car, dinner, or bedtime.
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