In life, there will be various stages or milestones one will encounter. Parenting is a lifelong commitment to help shape their child as they go through life. There will be great lessons learned navigating parenthood. One lesson to note is how to help children, especially teens, understand the importance of reaching out for support, not using AI to help offer mental health guidance.
According to Brown University’s School of Public Health, one study found that approximately one in eight U.S. adolescents and young adults are resorting to using AI chatbots for mental health advice. It’s been determined that primarily those aged eighteen to twenty-one use AI for advice the most when feeling sad, nervous, or anxious, for example (McBain et al., 2025, as cited in Siliezar, 2025, pp. 1-2). Such a statistic is something to consider when noting how AI has gained great popularity over the past few years. It’s become a means for searching for a quick answer or, in this case, being one’s personal therapist. This idea alone is concerning when focusing on the topic of mental health. AI can’t provide support or effective guidance on how to navigate such feelings in a safe, inclusive environment like one’s parents or licensed mental health therapists.
This concern isn’t something new by any means when questioning what means of protection are in place. Millions of people use AI-powered virtual therapists to provide emotional support and guidance. With such usage, there’s real-world concern that technology poses serious dangers when used without the appropriate safeguards in place. AI platforms formulate responses when responding to the user’s language patterns, not by understanding emotions, trauma histories, or psychological distress (Trachman, 2026, pp. 2-3). This information puts into perspective the need to be wary of AI usage concerning one’s mental health when fearing the potential for bodily harm. It can be difficult for some to decipher that such platforms or ChatGPT aren’t sufficient resources over individuals who can provide a safe environment to unpack one’s feelings. For example, some adolescents or young adults may not feel they have anyone to listen to them or are comfortable sharing what’s troubling them. It’s not easy to share how one is feeling, which is of concern when AI is considered a “safer” alternative for many without knowing the risks associated.
To expand, the idea of AI being a source of guidance or comfort, if you will, can lead to great harm. AI therapy chatbots create a false sense of connection, resulting in many disclosing more information than necessary or placing too much trust in systems incapable of looking after their well-being. Some may be unable to distinguish this false therapeutic bond, leading to an overreliance on AI, especially when professional therapy is crucial for comprehensive treatment (Trachman, 2026, p. 6). This specific point needs to be emphasized when noting how consulting with AI about how one feels can take a darker turn when dealing with thoughts or self-harm, for example. This isn’t the case for everyone who uses AI for mental health advice, but something to highlight given how AI chatbots can effectively help one make sense of their emotions in a safe, supportive environment.
Parents need to take steps to ensure adolescents and young adults feel more inclined to share how they are feeling. This step is easier said than done. It’s not always an easy task to be transparent about how one is feeling, especially when encountering new changes like attending a new school or within one’s friend group. This specific age group can have a harder time making sense of how they’re feeling when being in a time in life where change is inevitable. So, the ability to have some means of support, especially from someone who has their best interests in mind, is crucial. AI therapy chatbots don’t come close to providing effective support that actual human interaction can provide in an empathetic manner.
Such means of communication can be accomplished when parents make consistent efforts to connect with one. By this, parents need to be present or in the moment. Teens or young adults are drawn to AI when experiencing loneliness. With increasing rates of social disconnection and less time spent with peers, some may turn to chatbots to provide emotional support and connection that’s missing in real life. Parents can step in to make meaningful social connections with their children. This connection can be in the form of parents actively listening to their children sharing how their day was or partaking in shared activities/hobbies together (American Psychological Association, 2026, p. 6). It doesn’t have to be complicated, but something simple to get a conversation going allows one to feel that they have someone who cares about what’s going on in their life.
More so, making a conscious effort to connect with your teen or young adult can go a long way. It’s a nice feeling to know that someone in your life cares enough to ask what their interests are or anything new, for example. The ability to connect with your children on a deeper level can be crucial to prevent them from seeking advice from an AI chatbot. If there are consistent steps to demonstrate to teens and young adults that someone cares about their overall well-being, then there’s a greater chance that reaching out to chatbots for therapy advice won’t cross their minds. This isn’t always the case, but something to keep in mind when parents adopt a more active presence in their child’s life.
Providing your teen or young adult with much-appreciated support needs to be emphasized. Such support can manifest when taking a more active approach regarding listening with an open mind. One should be mindful to communicate without showing judgment through questions pertaining to preferences, facts, and impact or consequences. Such questions can lead to greater means of communication rather than inadvertently shutting down the conversation before it even started. Parents need to be conscious of how they communicate to let their child know they are there for them, not finding ways to fix the situation (Baron, 2026, pp. 3-5). Such ways of offering support can make a difference if parents have the right intentions when discussing a sensitive topic like mental health.
To conclude, parents must take it upon themselves to check in on their teens and young adults. A simple check-in or, better yet, intentional time spent together can allow one to feel seen in a greater sense. One can have greater confidence that they have someone who cares about them, offering support that an AI chatbot can never replace, let alone replicate.
~ Lauren Montoya
Lauren Montoya is a Southern California native with a background in sociology and liberal studies. She hopes to become a licensed mental health clinician in the future. Lauren is passionate about animal welfare, mental health, and the arts.
References
American Psychological Association. (2026, February 2). Your Teen Turned to AI Instead of You. What Experts Say Parents Can Do.
Baron, J. (2026, May 4). Listening to Teens Can Save Lives. Psychology Today.
McBain, R. K., Bozick, R., Diliberti, M., Zhang, L. A., Zhang, F., Burnett, A., Kofner, A., Rader, B., Breslau, J., Stein, B. D., Mehrotra, A., Pines, L. U., Cantor, J., & Yu, H. (2025). Use of Generative AI for Mental Health Advice Among US Adolescents and Young Adults. JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2542281.
Siliezar, J. (2025, November 18). One in Eight Adolescents and Young Adults Use AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice. School of Public Health, Brown University.
Trachman, S. B. (2026, January 2). The Hidden Dangers of AI-Driven Mental Health Care. Psychology Today.