Teens using AI for companionship report more distress, JED study finds

Teenagers who use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for friendship or companionship, or who turn to them when they feel sad or overwhelmed, are more likely to report anxiety, depression, loneliness and a history of suicidal thoughts, according to a study released on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, by the Jed Foundation (JED), a US non-profit that works on the mental health of young people. The study surveyed more than 5,500 middle and high school students at 21 schools in the United States. It found that general use of AI was not linked to worse mental health; the links appeared only for certain kinds of use.

AI chatbots are now part of daily life for many teenagers. They answer homework questions, but they also listen at any hour, never get tired and never judge, which makes them an easy place to turn when a young person feels low. This study suggests that more than half of students do exactly that. The worry raised by the researchers is not that teens use AI, but that some of the most vulnerable young people may be leaning on it in place of people who can help.

It is important to read the findings carefully. The study shows that teens who use AI for comfort or companionship are more likely to be struggling. It cannot say which came first. A teen who is already lonely or depressed may be more likely to turn to a chatbot; or heavy reliance on a chatbot may deepen isolation; or both may be true. What the findings do suggest is that a young person who spends a lot of time confiding in an AI may be a young person who needs a check-in from a parent, teacher or counsellor.

For parents and schools, this points to simple steps: ask young people how they use AI, not just whether they do; treat heavy emotional use as a sign worth a gentle conversation; and make sure teens know where to find human help. For AI companies, it adds pressure to build in safeguards, such as pointing users to crisis help when conversations show signs of distress.

The survey was carried out in the United States, but the questions it raises apply to young people in India too, where AI chatbots are widely available on phones and many teenagers use them for study and conversation.

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Short-term: Parents, schools and counsellors may pay closer attention to how teenagers use AI chatbots, especially when they use them for emotional support.

Long-term: The findings may add to pressure on AI companies and regulators to set rules for how chatbots respond to young users in distress, and may shape school guidance on AI and mental health.

Who is affected: Teenagers who use AI chatbots; parents and teachers; school counsellors and mental-health services; and companies that build AI chat products used by young people.

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