A March survey found 67% of U.S. children ages 9 to 17 had tried an AI chatbot, while separate research shows many young people also use AI in daily life and during distress.
Common Sense Media fielded the March survey from March 18-26, 2026, asking whether children had ever tried chatbots. In a separate report published in October, it said a nationally representative survey of 1,211 children ages 9 to 17 found that 65% used AI in their free time. Responses for that survey were collected April 29-May 11, 2026. The share was 77% among teens and 49% among tweens ages 9 to 12.
The October findings treated general free-time AI use and chatbot use as separate measures. In that survey, 49% of tweens said they had ever used an AI chatbot or companion. The corresponding shares were 36% among 9-year-olds and 73% among 13-year-olds. Among tweens who had tried one, 18% said they used a chatbot or companion on the survey day; median use that day was one hour.
A separate study by The Jed Foundation (JED) collected responses from 5,560 middle and high school students at 21 U.S. schools between October 2025 and April 2026. Fifty-eight percent said they used AI for schoolwork, while 57% turned to it during periods of sadness, stress, loneliness or feeling overwhelmed. Another 28% used it for relationship or problem-solving advice, and 12% for friendship or companionship.
JED's analysis associated relationship or problem-solving advice with higher anxiety and depression symptoms, greater loneliness and reported suicidal thoughts. Students who used AI for friendship or companionship were more likely to report a history of suicide attempts.
The findings show associations, not that AI use caused those outcomes. JED's survey design cannot establish which came first: AI use or students' distress. The participating schools were enrolled in JED programs, so the results are not nationally representative. JED plans to continue collecting student data annually but has not announced a date for its next release.
