AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are mostly known for helping us get things done. But for younger users, there’s another side, and a more personal one. Unlike people, ChatGPT won’t roll its eyes at your late-night musings or dilemmas—and teens are starting to take advantage of that.
Teens are finding comfort in AI companions for emotional support
No matter where the conversation goes, the bot sticks with you. That consistency has been surprisingly helpful for teens dealing with stress or mental health issues. When things get tough, these chatbots can feel like lifelines, offering advice, support or just someone (or something) to talk to. And unlike people, they don’t judge. It’s just you and the bot, in a private space where you can let it all out.
According to new research by Common Sense Media, over 70% of teens have interacted with AI companions, and half are doing so regularly. These tools, ranging from dedicated platforms like Character.AI and Replika to more general chatbots like ChatGPT or CoPilot, are often used as virtual friends. Whether designed to be emotionally supportive or simply chatty, teens are customizing them with unique personalities and leaning on them for conversation and connection.
Chatbots are becoming a means to vent and reflect
Some teens use AI to talk about feeling isolated, targeted or left out at school or in everyday life. The chatbot offers a safe space to vent, practice responses or simply feel heard after a tough day. Sometimes, it even helps teens rehearse standing up for themselves or figure out their next moves.
These AI tools aren’t only useful for major problems—they’re equally good for daily advice on boosting your mood, sharpening your thoughts and caring for yourself.
Sometimes, teens aren’t looking for anything extraordinary. A simple suggestion to breathe, take a warm bath or sip some tea can be exactly what they need, especially when it comes from a space that feels safe and nonjudgmental. They’re not bothered that it’s not a real person talking.
In fact, many teens may prefer it that way. There’s a unique comfort in knowing that everything they say essentially stays within the conversation, existing only between them and the bot, not instantly carried into their real-life world.
The Common Sense Media study revealed that 31% of teens felt their interactions with AI companions were equally or more fulfilling than conversations with actual friends. Even though 50% of teens don’t fully trust AI guidance, about a third have chosen to discuss major personal issues with AI rather than with other humans.
Even with safe people, a sibling, a parent, a best friend or even a stranger in a quiet moment, there’s still a human instinct that once you speak your truth, it escapes into the world in a way that can feel emotionally counterproductive.
AI can help teens see their life and struggles more clearly
Teens might not trust every word from a chatbot, but these AI tools help them put their life and struggles into perspective. As they explore their emotions and desires, the chatbots lay out their journey in a way that feels both real and refreshingly clear.
While AI continues to impress with its capabilities, it still can’t perform the kind of deep, critical thinking that can sustainably help young people make sense of their place in the social world. Human connection—the messy, multi-layered kind shaped by culture, family, environment and personality—is something AI can mimic but not truly embody.
Teens should be aware that their private conversations aren’t ‘private’
Still, teens should be mindful of what they share. Even though conversations with ChatGPT may seem entirely anonymous, that doesn’t mean everything disappears into thin air. The data you enter isn’t instantly wiped away. In fact, chatbots often store your conversations.
Data shared with chatbots can be stored, reviewed and legally used to improve the system, according to OpenAI’s usage policies. Conversations are never entirely deleted, and users who share personal details, names or sensitive information may be unknowingly putting that data at risk. Interacting with a bot demands at least as much caution as typing into a search bar, if not more.
Just this week, Open AI CEO Sam Altman made this warning all too clear to users. In an interview with Theo Von on This Past Weekend, Altman pointed out that chats with ChatGPT aren’t legally protected the way conversations with doctors or therapists are. “People talk about the most personal sh** in their lives to ChatGPT,” he said, “We haven’t figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.”
Altman’s remarks follow an ongoing copyright lawsuit filed by The New York Times, in which a federal judge recently ordered OpenAI to preserve all ChatGPT user logs, with no timeline set for their deletion. This includes “temporary chats” and API activity, even from users who opted out of data sharing for training. While users can remove chats from their visible history, the underlying data must be retained to comply with legal requirements.
Teens find comfort in AI, but still need real support
A chatbot can reflect back our words, organize our thoughts, and offer practical suggestions. But it can’t really know us—at least not in the way that long-time friends, trusted adults or trained therapists can.
That’s not to say these tools are useless. On the contrary, they’re proving to be meaningful touchpoints for teens who might not have someone to talk to. But they are not replacements and they shouldn’t be. In a perfect world, every teen would have access to affordable, reliable mental health care. Until then, these digital companions are filling a gap. Even a simple chat with a bot can help ease the weight of a heavy day and offer a small sense of relief and calm.
Photo by Samuel Borges Photography/Shutterstock
