AI chatbots harm kids' mental health, study finds
The gist
A JED Foundation survey of over 5,000 US students found 57% use AI chatbots when sad or stressed.
Causation is unproven, so whether chatbots harm or just attract struggling kids is open.
How it unfolded
- 2025 -10 to 2026-04The JED Foundation interviews more than 5,000 American middle and high school students from 21 schools for its study on AI use and mental health.
- Oct 30, 2026Oregon Public Broadcasting publishes reporting on new research into teen mental health and AI chatbot use.
- Oct 31, 2026Mashable reports on the Common Sense Media census of more than 1,200 American children aged 9 to 17 and the JED Foundation study.
Key terms
- causation
- A cause-and-effect relationship in which one event or variable directly produces another.
- JAMA Pediatrics
- A monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association covering all aspects of pediatrics.
Source: Wikipedia