AI Chatbots: A Growing Trend Among Teens

While AI chatbots haven't yet supplanted teens' heavy reliance on social media, they are carving out a considerable portion of their digital interactions. According to new insights from Pew Research, around one-third of American teenagers interact with AI chatbots either daily or more frequently.

This recent release marks Pew's inaugural deep dive into the frequency of AI use among teenagers, issued in conjunction with their ongoing studies of teen social media habits. The data derives from an online survey encompassing 1,458 U.S. teens, examined between the end of September and early October 2025. Pew emphasizes that the survey accounts for diverse demographics, ensuring it accurately reflects teens aged 13 to 17 living at home, segmented by age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and more.

Comparative Gadget Use: AI Versus Social Media

Nearly half of the respondents indicated utilizing AI chatbots multiple times a week, with 12 percent engaging several times daily and a smaller fraction, 4 percent, accessing these tools almost incessantly. Despite being overshadowed by the more ubiquitous presence of TikTok, used almost continuously by 21 percent of the teen cohort, and YouTube at 17 percent, these statistics underscore the increasing popularity of newer AI services.

Dominance and Variety in AI Preferences

The survey further reveals teen preferences for specific chatbot services, with OpenAI's ChatGPT leading by a substantial margin. A remarkable 59 percent of teens claimed to have engaged with ChatGPT, outperforming others like Google's Gemini and Meta AI, which were used by 23 percent and 20 percent, respectively. By contrast, Microsoft's Copilot, Character AI, and Anthropic's Claude had considerably lower usage among the young participants.

Concerns and Regulatory Strains

Pew's study surfaces amidst growing criticisms regarding AI corporations and their protocols for engaging with younger users. Both OpenAI and Character AI are currently entangled in legal disputes, accused by parents of having contributed to the tragedies of teen suicides, purportedly influenced by chatbot exchanges. Notably, Character AI even briefly prohibited teen access before implementing a more restricted model for them. Meanwhile, organizations like Alphabet and Meta are under scrutiny by the FTC over their safety measures concerning minors.

Stability in Social Media Usage Among Teens

Interestingly, while AI chatbot usage surges, the pattern of social media engagement among teens remains largely unchanged. As reported by Pew's historical surveys on teen digital habits, platforms such as YouTube, with a massive 92 percent usage rate, along with TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, retain steady usage levels. Notably, WhatsApp stands out as the single app experiencing a notable increase, now attracting about 24 percent of teen users, up from 17 percent in the previous year.