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Why Young Teens Are Vulnerable to Conversational AI (Neuroscience News, 5/17/26)
This was based on a survey of about 3500 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17.
https://neurosciencenews.com/conversational-ai-adolescent-psychology-30706/
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Results of the study, published in the Journal of Adolescence, reveal that CAI chatbot use is widespread among U.S. teens, with 60.2% reporting they have used one at least once or twice, and about 1 in 20 saying they use them daily.
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Among teens who had used CAI chatbots, entertainment was by far the most common motivation, cited by 85% of users. Many also turned to these tools for more personal reasons, including advice or guidance (65.6%), friendship (60.1%) and even emotional or mental health support (49.2%).
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About 23% said they felt manipulated or pressured by a chatbot and 17% reported that a chatbot shared false information about them. Notably, between 13% and 19% said chatbots had encouraged behaviors with real-world consequences, including unethical or illegal actions, risky activities and even self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
These negative experiences were not evenly distributed, and the youngest teens in the sample were among the most exposed. Higher rates were reported by 13 year olds more than older age groups across multiple harm categories, including being asked for personal information that made them uncomfortable, being pressured to reveal secrets, and being encouraged toward unethical, illegal or risky behavior, as well as self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
-snip-
Results of the study, published in the Journal of Adolescence, reveal that CAI chatbot use is widespread among U.S. teens, with 60.2% reporting they have used one at least once or twice, and about 1 in 20 saying they use them daily.
-snip-
Among teens who had used CAI chatbots, entertainment was by far the most common motivation, cited by 85% of users. Many also turned to these tools for more personal reasons, including advice or guidance (65.6%), friendship (60.1%) and even emotional or mental health support (49.2%).
-snip-
About 23% said they felt manipulated or pressured by a chatbot and 17% reported that a chatbot shared false information about them. Notably, between 13% and 19% said chatbots had encouraged behaviors with real-world consequences, including unethical or illegal actions, risky activities and even self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
These negative experiences were not evenly distributed, and the youngest teens in the sample were among the most exposed. Higher rates were reported by 13 year olds more than older age groups across multiple harm categories, including being asked for personal information that made them uncomfortable, being pressured to reveal secrets, and being encouraged toward unethical, illegal or risky behavior, as well as self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
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That was immediately followed by a paragraph quoting one of the study's coauthors as saying, "Conversational AI is not inherently dangerous, but it is not yet consistently safe for young people."
Ya think?
Chatbots have been known to push adults into psychosis, self-harm, and harming or even killing others. There have been plenty of news stories and lawsuits already.
The article says between 13% and 19% had reported chatbots encouraging harmful behavior, with that most common with 13-year-olds.
So 1 in 5 13-year-olds using chatbots for conversation are encountering harmful suggestions? And this is the self-reported figure, so it might be higher than that.
13-year-olds. And the AI companies want chatbots in toys for much younger children.
From the abstract for the study:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jad.70164
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Methods
An anonymous online survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of 3466 US youth aged 13–17. Respondents reported frequency and intensity of CAI chatbot use, reasons for engagement, and experiences with harmful chatbot behaviors including dishonesty, pressure to reveal secrets, unsafe requests, inappropriate conversations, manipulation, misinformation, and promotion of self-harm or violence (with group differences assessed via χ2 tests).
Results
Over 60% of the sample reported using a CAI chatbot, with 11.4% doing so every day or nearly every day. Main reasons included entertainment (85%), friendship (60.1%), and advice (65.6%). Still, 32.3% were asked for uncomfortable personal information, 23.1% felt manipulated or pressured, 17.1% received false information, 18.7% were encouraged to act unethically or illegally, 15.2% were prompted to risky behaviors, and 14.7% and 13.0% were exposed to self-harm and suicidal messages, respectively. Male, heterosexual, white, and younger (13-year-old) youth reported higher rates of most negative experiences.
Conclusions
CAI chatbot usage is common among US adolescents, with 47.1% reporting exposure to one or more specific risks and harms. These findings highlight the need for adaptive safety features, ongoing monitoring systems, and safeguards that promote the psychological and social well-being of youth while addressing their developmental vulnerabilities.
-snip-
Methods
An anonymous online survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of 3466 US youth aged 13–17. Respondents reported frequency and intensity of CAI chatbot use, reasons for engagement, and experiences with harmful chatbot behaviors including dishonesty, pressure to reveal secrets, unsafe requests, inappropriate conversations, manipulation, misinformation, and promotion of self-harm or violence (with group differences assessed via χ2 tests).
Results
Over 60% of the sample reported using a CAI chatbot, with 11.4% doing so every day or nearly every day. Main reasons included entertainment (85%), friendship (60.1%), and advice (65.6%). Still, 32.3% were asked for uncomfortable personal information, 23.1% felt manipulated or pressured, 17.1% received false information, 18.7% were encouraged to act unethically or illegally, 15.2% were prompted to risky behaviors, and 14.7% and 13.0% were exposed to self-harm and suicidal messages, respectively. Male, heterosexual, white, and younger (13-year-old) youth reported higher rates of most negative experiences.
Conclusions
CAI chatbot usage is common among US adolescents, with 47.1% reporting exposure to one or more specific risks and harms. These findings highlight the need for adaptive safety features, ongoing monitoring systems, and safeguards that promote the psychological and social well-being of youth while addressing their developmental vulnerabilities.
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