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Teen AI use is common—and emotional reliance tracks higher risk
Preliminary research from The Jed Foundation surveyed more than 5,500 middle- and high-school students across 21 U.S. schools and districts between October 2025 and April 2026. Four in five had used AI; more than half used it for academics, nearly one third for relationship or problem-solving advice, more than one in ten for companionship, and nearly three in five when sad, stressed, or lonely. Students who turned to AI for emotional support, advice, difficult emotions, or companionship were also more likely to report poorer mental health, loneliness, and a history of suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
The findings identify an association, not causation: distressed teens may be more likely to seek AI support, AI use may affect wellbeing, or both may be true. Product safeguards and direct routes to trusted people are necessary while stronger evidence develops.
Why it matters
The pattern places AI inside moments of vulnerability, not only classrooms. Age and geography also mattered: high-school and rural students were more likely to use AI overall, while middle-school and urban students were more likely to use it when they felt sad, stressed, or lonely.
The results are preliminary, were collected through schools participating in JED programs, and do not establish which direction the relationship runs. The full research is expected in the fall. Even so, designers and schools can act now by minimizing sensitive-data collection, recognizing high-risk conversations, directing users toward qualified human support, and involving young people in policy decisions.
Primary trail
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