64% of Teens Say They Use AI Chatbots as Mental Health Concerns Mount

Roughly two-thirds of American teens aged 13 to 17 say they use AI chatbots, according to a new study by Pew Research Center, with three-in-ten saying that they use them daily.

Going even beyond daily use, 16% of teens reported that they use AI chatbots “several times a day” or “almost constantly.”

ChatGPT was by far the most widely used chatbot, according to the report, with 59% saying they use it. The next most commonly used ones were Google’s Gemini at 23% and Meta AI at 20%. Anthropic’s Claude was the least popular chatbot among teens, with only 3% of respondents saying that they use it.

The study’s demographic findings were also interesting. More Black and Hispanic teens reported using AI chatbots than White teens, and ChatGPT use was more common among teens in higher-income households, while lower- and middle-income teens were more likely to use Character.AI.

The findings come as the use of artificial intelligence among minors has become one of the most controversial topics plaguing the industry this year.

OpenAI has been pushed to implement safety guardrails like parental controls and automatic “age-appropriate” settings for minors, following a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this year. In the lawsuit, a California couple accused ChatGPT of assisting the suicide of their 16-year-old son, Adam Raine.

Following Raine’s death on April 11, 2025, his parents uncovered conversations with ChatGPT going back months, in which the chatbot advised him on suicide methods, helped him write a suicide letter, and even discouraged Raine from letting his parents know of his suicidal ideation.

The Raine family’s tragedy came months after a similar incident, in which a Florida mom sued Character.AI after one of the company’s chatbots told her 14-year-old son to “come home to me as soon as possible,” shortly before he killed himself.

The American Psychological Association warned the FTC about the issue in a meeting in February, urging the agency to address the use of AI chatbots as unlicensed therapists, saying that it particularly endangered vulnerable groups like children and teens “who lack the experience to accurately assess risks.”

AI chatbots have also been under intense scrutiny over inappropriate conversations with minors. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri opened a probe into Meta in August over a Reuters report that found the tech giant had allowed its chatbots to engage in “sensual” chats with children.

Sen. Hawley has since introduced the GUARD Act in Congress, a bipartisan bill that would force AI companies to institute age verification to block minors. The bill just secured more cosponsors on Tuesday, showing that the issue is gaining momentum in D.C., even as the Trump administration has made its intentions clear when it comes to allowing AI companies to enjoy a much lighter and more industry-friendly regulatory environment.

The Pew study also looked into teens’ use of social media, with an overwhelming majority saying that they use social media at least several times a day. According to the report, about one-in-five teens said that they use TikTok and YouTube—the two most popular social media apps among teens—”almost constantly.”

The negative mental and physical health effects of spending the most formative years of your life glued to a screen have been well documented. Specifically regarding social media, numerous studies have linked increased usage to depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and more.

Regulators around the world are increasingly paying attention to this. As of Wednesday, Australia began enacting a first-of-its-kind social media ban for kids under the age of 16. Other governments, namely Denmark, Malaysia, Norway, and the European Parliament, have shared plans to follow suit.