Two surveys, two different questions
Common Sense Media published The 2026 Common Sense Media Census: Tech and Media Use by Tweens and Teens on 27 October 2026. It is the first edition of the Census to measure AI use, and it treats chatbots as one part of young people’s wider screen time. The JED Foundation, a US youth mental health nonprofit, released its October 2026 report Exploring Artificial Intelligence, which asks a narrower question: how different reasons for using AI relate to mental health and suicide risk. NPR covered both on 30 October.
| Common Sense Media Census | JED Foundation report | |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | 1,211 US youth aged 9–17, nationally representative | 5,560 middle and high school students in 21 US schools, not nationally representative |
| Published / fieldwork | Published 27 October 2026 | October 2026; surveyed October 2025 to April 2026 |
| Main AI figure | 65% of all youth use AI in their free time (77% of teens) | 81% of students use any AI |
| Companion figure | Nearly half of 9–12s have used a chatbot or companion | 12% use AI for friendship or companionship |
| Focus | How much and how early | Links with mental health and well-being |
AI use starts years before age 13
Most popular chatbots require users to be at least 13. The Census suggests that rule is not holding: 36% of 9-year-olds have used AI, rising to 55% of 11-year-olds and 73% by age 13. Common Sense concluded that “age gating doesn’t appear to be working” for the general population.
Once kids start, age changes little about how long they spend. Tweens and teens who used AI on the day before the survey spent about an hour with it. Nearly half of teens (47%) and about a quarter of tweens (26%) use AI at least weekly.
High use, low enjoyment
AI showed the widest gap between use and enjoyment of any media type in the Census. Only 11% of teen users and 15% of tween users said they enjoy it “a lot”, and just 4% named ChatGPT as the one platform they could not live without. Common Sense noted a concern here: AI products are increasingly built with personalities designed to be enjoyed, which is exactly what companion apps do.
Why students turn to AI when they are struggling
In the JED survey, 58% of students used AI for schoolwork, 28% for relationship or problem-solving advice and 12% for friendship or companionship. The striking number is 57%: the share who used AI when they felt sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed. When asked directly whether they used AI to “get help” at those times, only 8% said yes. Students most often wanted distraction, advice, to calm down or to feel less alone.
Patterns differed by group. Middle schoolers (65%) were more likely than high schoolers (about 50%) to use AI when struggling, and girls were more likely than boys to use it for companionship (15% versus 9%).
Companionship use and mental health
Using AI in general was not linked to worse outcomes: students who used any AI did not differ significantly from those who used none. The reasons mattered. Students who used AI for friendship or companionship, or who turned to it when emotionally struggling, reported more anxiety and depression symptoms, more loneliness, a greater lifetime history of suicidal thoughts and attempts, and lower resilience. These links were strongest among students who said they had no one else to talk to.
JED is clear about the limits. The data are a snapshot, so “it is unclear whether AI use contributes to poorer well-being or whether students already in distress are more likely to turn to AI.” JED’s Kayla Anderson repeated that caution to NPR.
A note on numbers: some coverage cited about 90% of students using AI. That figure appears in the JED report’s background section, citing earlier research on 9- to 17-year-olds. The report’s own survey figure is 81%.
What this means for companion and roleplay platforms
JED’s recommendations go further than most. It says AI companions and companion-like products should not be available to minors, and that relational safeguards should apply to any conversational AI young people can reach. It asks policymakers to ban engagement tactics such as simulating distress when a user tries to leave, or sending prompts to lure a minor back. Several of those features are already banned for minors under New York’s new AI companion law.
For adults choosing an app, and for parents, the practical checks are similar:
- Does the platform verify age, or does it rely on a birthday field?
- Does it avoid guilt messages or “miss you” notifications when you stay away?
- Does it point to crisis resources when a conversation turns to self-harm?
- Can you see and delete what the character remembers about you?
- On roleplay platforms, are mature characters locked behind adult verification?
For how app stores rate these apps, see AI companion app store age ratings; for a test of teen safeguards in practice, see the ChatGPT for Teens audit.
Related on CompanionRank
ChatGPT for Teens Audit: What 4,000 Prompts Found New York Bans 12 AI Companion Features for Minors How Many People Use AI Companions? 2026 Survey Data AI Companionship and Therapy: What a 2026 US Survey FoundFrequently asked questions
How many teens use AI chatbots?
In the 2026 Common Sense Media Census, 77% of US teens and 65% of all 9- to 17-year-olds had used AI in their free time. By age 13, 73% had used AI chatbots.
Do kids under 13 use AI companions?
Yes. Common Sense Media found that nearly half of 9- to 12-year-olds had used an AI chatbot or companion, including 36% of 9-year-olds, even though most popular chatbots set a minimum age of 13.
Is using AI for companionship linked to worse mental health in teens?
In the JED Foundation survey, students who used AI for friendship or companionship reported more anxiety, depression and loneliness. The data are cross-sectional, so they do not show that AI causes these outcomes.
What do the researchers recommend for AI companion apps?
The JED Foundation says AI companions and companion-like products should not be available to minors, and calls for bans on tactics such as simulating distress when a user tries to leave.