Students' Use of Chatbot Report

 “A new nationwide survey from the child safety nonprofit Thorn found that AI chatbots have quickly become part of many children's lives, not just for homework or curiosity, but sometimes for advice, emotional support and help navigating frightening online experiences. … Among its findings:

• 67% of children said they have used an AI chatbot.
• Nearly one in four reported experiencing an online sexual interaction.
• Of those children, 15% said they sought support or guidance from an AI chatbot afterward.

Researchers also found that fear and embarrassment increasingly keep children from telling adults when something happens online.” (Gulf Coast News, July 28, 2026).

Thorn, R. et al.  (2026). Youth perspectives on online safety, 2025. 

https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_2025YouthPerspectives_Report.pdf

teens and AI report

 Students are using AI tools. The study found that a majority of U.S. teens have used AI chatbots, and many report using them to support schoolwork and research. For educators and librarians, the issue is no longer whether AI belongs in education. The real question is whether schools will teach students how to use it responsibly.

How Teens Use and View AI. (2026). Pew Research CENTER.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/pi_2026-02-24_teens-and-ai_0-01/?_gl=1%2Axfpp0n%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_gs%2AMQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk6rNBhCxARIsAN5mQLuD1rnbi9_P4wWPrGN0j3TvT5shVi4oi2y2QzkSO5EdLccyCl6dABMaAuQHEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAA-ddO9HhIP5NLYtpLbodzRDa_adD3&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Study on Teens Online

 A new report shows most US teens use YouTube and TikTok daily, with about one in five saying they are online almost constantly. The survey also found rising use of AI chatbots and notable demographic differences in platform habits, prompting continued concerns from experts about sleep, social skills and compulsive screen use.

 Faverio, M., & Sidoti, O.  (2025). Teens, social media and AI chat bots. 2025. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/12/09/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025/