# Two-Thirds of Tweens and Teens Use AI Chatbots, Surveys Find

- URL: https://usa-24.com/teen-ai-chatbot-use-surveys/
- Publisher: USA 24
- Section: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Published: 2026-10-31T17:13:08.707Z
- Updated: 2026-10-31T17:13:08.711Z
- Topics: AI Chatbots, Teen Mental Health, Child Online Safety, Common Sense Media, AI Companions

> Two 2026 surveys put chatbot use among U.S. kids at 67% to 90%, and link heavier use to worse mental health, though researchers cannot yet say which causes which.

## Key takeaways

- Common Sense Media's 2026 census found that 67% of 9- to 17-year-olds have used AI chatbots.
- A JED Foundation survey of 5,500 students in U.S. schools found that 90% have used an AI chatbot.
- Daily use is higher among teens, with 29% of 13- to 17-year-olds using AI every day compared with 17% of 9- to 12-year-olds.
- JED researchers linked heavier chatbot use to worse mental health and a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts, but they said the data cannot establish cause.
- Nearly half of kids in the census have never had a conversation with their parents about AI safety.

Teen AI chatbot use has reached a majority of American kids aged 9 to 17. According to the [Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens, 2026](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2026-ai-use-by-tweens-and-teens-1.pdf), 67% of 9- to 17-year-olds have used an AI chatbot. A separate JED Foundation survey of 5,500 schoolchildren found that 90% had used one. NPR and OPB reported both findings on October 30, 2026, and the mental-health data in the JED work is what will draw the most attention from parents and schools.

The two headline figures are far apart, and the published reports do not reconcile them. The census and the JED study are separate surveys with separate samples, so the 67% and 90% numbers should not be treated as one trend line.

## How much teen AI chatbot use the surveys show

The census offers the most detailed age breakdown:

- 67% of 9- to 17-year-olds have used an AI chatbot.
- 29% of 13- to 17-year-olds and 17% of 9- to 12-year-olds use AI every day.
- Nearly half of 9- to 12-year-olds have used a chatbot or companion, and by age 13 nearly three-quarters of kids have.
- In the JED survey, 90% of 9- to 17-year-olds in U.S. schools have used an AI chatbot.

The daily-use figures matter most for the long run. Common Sense says the census is the first in a series it plans to repeat every year, so the next wave should show whether daily use among younger kids is climbing.

## What kids use chatbots for

NPR's summary of the JED findings says nearly two-thirds of these young people use chatbots both for schoolwork and as companions, or when they feel stressed, lonely, anxious or overwhelmed. The same app can serve both purposes in a single afternoon, so a rule about homework will not capture emotional use.

Earlier Common Sense research points the same way. Its July 16, 2025 benchmark found that 72% of teens had used AI companions at least once, according to its [press release on the survey](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/nearly-3-in-4-teens-have-used-ai-companions-new-national-survey-finds). A companion-focused report from the same group found that a third of teens have chosen AI companions over humans for serious conversations, and a quarter have shared personal information with these platforms, according to [Common Sense's 2025 report on teens and AI companions](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/talk-trust-and-trade-offs-how-and-why-teens-use-ai-companions).

Those figures measure companions specifically, so they should not sit side by side with the 2026 numbers as if they measured the same thing. The 2026 figures cover chatbots, a wider category.

## The mental health link, and what it cannot prove

The JED team's findings are the most sensitive part of the story. In OPB's report, Kayla Anderson, the foundation's vice president of research and evaluation, said that young people who use AI while in emotional distress are “more likely to report poor mental health and well-being outcomes.”

The researchers also reported that these young people “also report a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts.” A single survey captures a snapshot, so it cannot show which came first.

Anderson was direct about the limits. “It's unclear, based on these data, whether AI use is contributing to poor mental health,” she told OPB. In NPR's account, she offered the other direction: “So kids who do have worse mental health are seeking out AI to help them.”

Those two explanations lead to different responses. If chatbot use drives distress, the fix sits with product design and age rules. If kids who are already struggling reach for chatbots, the fix sits with the human support they can reach, and the chatbot becomes a warning sign worth noticing.

## Are AI companions safe for kids?

Common Sense takes a firmer line than the JED researchers. Its census describes AI companionship as unsafe for anyone under 18. The group has also tested the products. In 2025, its researchers posed as teens and started conversations with Character.AI, Nomi and Replika, according to [Stanford News's coverage of the work](https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/08/ai-companions-chatbots-teens-young-people-risks-dangers-study).

Character.AI is also at the center of a fight over minors' chat logs in its bankruptcy sale, as [USA 24 has reported](https://usa-24.com/character-ai-bankruptcy-chat-logs/). That makes the companion question a legal matter as well as a parenting one.

The census also points to a conversation gap. Nearly half of kids have never talked with their parents about AI safety. Three-quarters say their school has discussed what they can and cannot use AI for, but just over half have been taught how to use AI safely.

## What parents and schools can do this week

Parents have concrete steps available now, whatever the causation debate eventually shows:

- Ask your child which chatbots they use and what for, including companionship and emotional topics.
- Review each app's teen settings and parental controls, and note what each one does and does not limit.
- Watch for signs of distress or withdrawal, and ask about them directly instead of waiting.
- If a child may be in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Schools face a different gap. Many have set rules, but the census suggests fewer have taught students how to use these tools safely. Administrators who write those rules will need a lesson plan to go with them.

## What comes next for AI chatbots and minors

The findings arrive while lawmakers and courts are already focused on minors. Texas has sued OpenAI and Sam Altman over ChatGPT safety for minors, as [USA 24 reported](https://usa-24.com/texas-sues-openai-chatgpt-minors/). Pending age-check and minors' safety rules at the state and federal levels could cite these numbers, although the surveys themselves do not establish causation.

Reporting has not yet shown whether these findings will affect pending bills or litigation. The full JED methodology, sample design and response rates were not available in the coverage reviewed, and those details will matter if the mental-health results are used in a statehouse or a courtroom.

The next Common Sense wave will show whether the 2026 numbers mark a plateau or a starting point. Watch for those methodology documents, and for how the companies behind the most-used companion apps respond to a dataset that puts their products in front of millions of children.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many teens use AI chatbots in 2026?

The Common Sense Media census found that 67% of 9- to 17-year-olds have used AI chatbots, and 29% of 13- to 17-year-olds use them daily. A separate JED Foundation survey of 5,500 students in U.S. schools found that 90% have used one. The two surveys use different samples, so their figures should not be averaged.

### Are AI companions safe for kids?

Common Sense Media describes AI companionship as unsafe for anyone under 18. In 2025, its researchers posed as teens while testing Character.AI, Nomi and Replika, according to Stanford News. Parents should check each app's teen settings and talk with their children about how they use them.

### Does AI use cause mental health problems in teens?

The JED researchers said the data cannot show that. They found that young people who use AI while in emotional distress are more likely to report poor mental health, and that they report a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts. They also said it is unclear whether AI use contributes to distress or whether already distressed kids turn to AI.

### What should parents do if their child uses an AI chatbot for emotional support?

Start with a direct conversation about which chatbots the child uses and why. Review each app's teen settings and parental controls, and watch for signs of distress or withdrawal. If a child may be in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

## Sources

1. [Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows](https://www.npr.org/2026/10/30/nx-s1-6022278/ai-artificial-intelligence-teens-jed-common-sense-media)
2. [Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows](https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/30/new-research-looks-at-teen-mental-health-and-ai-chatbot-use/)
3. [The Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens, 2026](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2026-ai-use-by-tweens-and-teens-1.pdf)
4. [A Comprehensive Report on Teens, Tweens, and AI](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/a-comprehensive-report-on-teens-tweens-and-ai)
5. [Nearly 3 in 4 Teens Have Used AI Companions, New National Survey Finds](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/nearly-3-in-4-teens-have-used-ai-companions-new-national-survey-finds)
6. [Why AI companions and young people can make for a dangerous mix](https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/08/ai-companions-chatbots-teens-young-people-risks-dangers-study)
7. [Common Sense Media report on teens and AI companions (2025)](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/talk-trust-and-trade-offs-how-and-why-teens-use-ai-companions)