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Start by asking what your teen uses chatbots for and what they find helpful—not by demanding to see every conversation or banning the technology. Then discuss what not to share, how to recognize when a chatbot is taking on too much of a friend’s or counselor’s role, and what boundaries will keep real people involved.
Why this conversation matters
Teens may use chatbots for schoolwork, information, creative projects, entertainment, personal conversation, or emotional support. A chatbot’s fluent, responsive style can feel personal, but it does not make the system a person, a confidential professional, or a reciprocal friend.
In a Pew Research Center survey fielded September 25–October 9, 2025, 64% of U.S. teens ages 13–17 said they used chatbots, compared with 51% of their parents who said their teen did. Just over half of parents said they had ever talked with their teen about chatbots. The survey included 1,458 U.S. teens and parents and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. These findings describe U.S. respondents, not teens everywhere. Pew Research Center
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteOther findings use different populations and methods. The Australian eSafety Commissioner reported that among children who had used an AI assistant or companion, 50% had used one for at least one personal or social reason, 32% had shared personal or potentially sensitive information, and 20% reported potentially inappropriate or harmful interactions. Those percentages are about that group of children, not all teens or all chatbot users. Australian eSafety Commissioner
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These figures are reasons to talk, not grounds to assume that a particular teen is harmed or dependent. Ask about the young person’s experience before deciding what rules are appropriate.
How to start without shutting the conversation down
- Ask what they use it for. Try: “What do you use chatbots for? What do you like about them?” Ask for an example of a useful interaction rather than insisting on access to every chat.
- Ask how it feels to use. “Have you ever gotten an answer that felt wrong, too personal, or uncomfortable?” Listen without correcting or judging the first answer.
- Talk about trust. Explain that a confident, fluent answer can still be inaccurate. A friendly tone is a feature of the system, not proof that it understands, cares, or can keep a secret.
- Make privacy specific. Ask: “What kinds of things would you not want saved or seen by someone else?” Then review the particular service’s privacy and safety information together.
- Discuss other sources of support. Ask: “If you’re upset, who are the people you can talk to as well as—or instead of—the chatbot?” Name trusted adults and other real-world support options.
- Agree on a plan together. Decide what uses feel appropriate, when to pause or leave a conversation, and whom the teen can approach if something is unsettling. Revisit the agreement as their use changes.
The American Psychological Association’s parent guidance recommends asking rather than lecturing, trying AI together, and setting rules collaboratively. APA parent guidance
What to say about privacy
Turn privacy into a practical habit: do not enter information the teen would not want stored, shared, or viewed by someone else. Examples include a full name, home address, school or class details, passwords, private images, and deeply sensitive personal information. Chatbot services differ in what they collect, retain, or share, and their practices can change; do not assume one rule applies to every product.
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Explain that deleting a chat or changing a setting may not mean information was never processed or retained. Rather than promising a particular outcome, check the service’s current privacy and safety information together and make a decision based on what it says. APA guidance specifically advises parents to explain that chatbots may store and share what users tell them. APA parent guidance
Privacy is not just about avoiding embarrassment. If a teen shares a sensitive problem with a chatbot, the family should understand what the service says about handling that information before the teen treats it like a private conversation with a trusted person.
How to talk about emotional reliance
A chatbot may offer a place to brainstorm, practice a conversation, or find words for a feeling. The concern is not simply that a teen talks to one; it is whether using it is crowding out sleep, school, relationships, or willingness to seek help from people who can respond in the real world.
Ask about effects rather than labeling the teen or diagnosing dependence. For example:
- “Do you find it hard to stop chatting when you planned to?”
- “Has it changed how much you sleep or how school is going?”
- “Are you still talking with the people you trust when something is difficult?”
- “Do you ever feel worse, more worried, or more alone after a conversation?”
- “What tends to lead you to open the chatbot—boredom, stress, loneliness, or something else?”
The FTC has noted that human-like characteristics and friend-or-confidant framing may lead some children and teens to trust chatbots or form relationships with them. The U.S. agency’s September 2025 action ordered seven consumer chatbot companies to provide information about how they measure and mitigate possible negative effects on young people, including disclosures and data handling. It was an inquiry, not a finding that each company violated the law. FTC announcement
That distinction matters in practice: a chatbot can sound caring without offering reciprocal care, professional judgment, or reliable mental-health advice. The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s July 2026 consultation response quoted the Royal College of Psychiatrists warning that systems appearing “authoritative, relational, anthropomorphic or emotionally responsive” raise particular risks for young people. UK consultation response
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Choosing boundaries for a particular chatbot
There is no universal ranking of chatbot products established by the available evidence. Compare the service and its role in your teen’s life using these questions:
- Purpose: Is it being used for school, information, or creative work, or mainly for companionship and emotional advice?
- Relational design: Does it function like an assistant, or is it designed to present itself as a human-like companion?
- Data practices and controls: What does the service say about retention and sharing? What privacy or safety controls can the family actually manage?
- Age suitability and safeguards: What age guidance, protections, and reporting options does the service provide?
- Effect on daily life: Is use affecting sleep, school, offline relationships, or willingness to seek human help?
Purpose matters: educational or accessibility-focused tools are not automatically equivalent to companion bots. In the same July 2026 response, the UK government quoted the Centre for Information Policy Leadership saying that purpose-built tools for children can support learning and inclusion. That does not remove the need to review a specific tool’s data practices, safeguards, and suitability. UK consultation response
Set limits and make a plan for uncomfortable interactions
Agree on boundaries that match the teen’s age, needs, and actual use. A family plan might identify what kinds of tasks are suitable, what information stays out of chats, and when the teen should pause or leave a conversation. It should also make clear that the teen can tell a trusted adult about a troubling interaction—even if they think they made a mistake or shared something they now regret.
If the interaction involves serious distress or immediate danger, prioritize help from a trusted adult or qualified professional rather than chatbot advice. The sources describe emerging risks and recommendations; they are not a complete crisis-response protocol.
What current policy developments do—and do not—mean
In July 2026, the UK government said it would require chatbots to introduce regular breaks for under-18s and provide more guidance for parents and children. It also said regulators would address harmful mental-health advice and that further action could be considered. This is an evolving UK policy commitment, not a rule that applies to every service or country. UK consultation response
UNICEF’s June 2026 policy brief describes children using chatbots for learning, creativity, advice, support, and sometimes relationships, and calls for preventive safeguards involving governments, businesses, parents, educators, and communities. It reinforces the value of family discussion without suggesting that every teen’s chatbot use has the same purpose or risk. UNICEF policy brief
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