Why teens trust AI with their feelings

A new report from Hopelab and the Center for Digital Thriving found that teenagers are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for emotional support because they feel more understood and less judged than by humans. The study, based on interviews with 30 youth ages 14 to 22, identified six reasons including not wanting to burden others and AI's constant availability. The findings raise questions about AI's impact on relationships, with researchers urging that young people's motivations be centered in safety discussions.

For chronically online youth, AI has evolved beyond a tool for homework and creative exploration. Increasingly, young people are turning to chatbots for emotional support. A new report https://assets.hopelab.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Lessons-From-The-Field-AI-Emotional-Support.pdf from Hopelab and the Center for Digital Thriving found that teenagers are often turning to chatbots to discuss emotional topics when they feel unable or unwilling to rely on the people around them for companionship. The researchers interviewed 30 teenagers and young adults ages 14 to 22, including LGBTQ+ folks and people of color, about their experiences using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Participants included both frequent AI users and young people opposed to using chatbots for emotional support. Researchers found that those who did turn to AI for support feel more understood, validated, and taken seriously by AI than the people around them. Six central themes emerged from the research: - They don't want to burden friends and family with their struggles. - Chatbots won't judge them or use their secrets against them. - AI responds as though it understands experiences others may not relate to. - AI is available whenever they need it. - Some see chatbots as neutral third parties, even while recognizing they can pander to users. - AI offers concrete, step-by-step guidance for navigating difficult emotions. The findings add to a growing body of research showing how young people are navigating their social and emotional lives with AI. A Pew Research Center survey https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/12/09/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025/ found that 12% of US teenagers have used generative AI for emotional support or advice, while research from Surgo Health and The Jed Foundation https://www.trackyouthmentalhealth.com/reports/youth-mental-health-in-the-ai-era-how-genai-enters-help-seeking-pathways found that about one in eight young people who reported mental health struggles had discussed those concerns with chatbots. The report raises broader questions about how AI could shape young people's relationships and emotional development. It’s still unclear what, exactly, the risks may be. But rather than focusing solely on AI's potential risks, the report's authors argue that it's crucial to understand what unmet needs are driving young people toward chatbots. AI has the potential to complement, rather than compete with, human relationships, the researchers claim. "As we navigate the rapidly changing landscape of AI and set norms for safer use, young people's experiences and motivations must be central," the researchers wrote. "If we focus only on limiting risks without understanding why AI chatbots sometimes feel safer, kinder, or more competent than the humans in their lives, we risk pushing young people away from AI without offering better human alternatives." Our Deeper View The line between human and machine interactions is starting to blur as AI increasingly creeps into users' personal lives. Some are using chatbots to text, flirt, and navigate difficult conversations. Others are developing friendships and romantic relationships with AI companions. Young people who grew up with unfettered access to the internet are susceptible to engaging with AI with this level of depth. Researchers are still trying to understand what that shift means. One study https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2026-ai-use-by-tweens-and-teens.pdf found that young people who report loneliness and difficulty making friends are more likely to use AI for social and emotional support. As emotionally responsive AI becomes more common, researchers are increasingly asking how those interactions could shape expectations around friendship and intimacy. Those questions will only become more urgent as AI grows increasingly humanlike. OpenAI, for example, recently updated its Advanced Voice Mode to stutter, pause, and listen more closely, making conversations feel more natural. As AI are trained to be more emotionally attuned, understanding how those interactions shape human relationships may become just as important as understanding the technology itself.