Teens using AI for emotional support is bad for mental and physical health in the long
run, but can also be a great way for students to learn communications skills. As teenagers in this
current time, some of my peers have noticed AI slowly taking over the world. It’s hard to think
of a life/future without AI at this point. A quote that we took by an author at the Los Angeles Times, also from an
article written on this topic, Jocelyn Gecker, states, “As the technology rapidly gets more
sophisticated, teenagers and experts worry about AI’s potential to redefine human relationships
and exacerbate crises of loneliness and youth mental health” (Gecker 2). Teens my age who use
AI for these reasons can begin losing contact with friends/family. However, some other
teenagers believe that AI can make a great chance at communication for those teens who have
less friends, or need help practicing communication. This is not simply a problem with only AI
either, most social media apps can lead to teenagers never getting off of their phones. It is known
that teens who spend so much time talking to AI that they forget to talk to a friend, go outside
and exercise, or even leave their bedroom for hours on end. Although emotional support can be
beneficial at times, it might have a negative impact on the person’s social life in the long run
because these teens aren’t getting it from real people who have real emotions and opinions, and
aren’t programmed by a bunch of 0’s and 1’s.