One reason young people turn to AI chatbots for emotional support is to avoid burdening other people in their lives, especially if they may already be dealing with their own stress. Several young people feared the toll it would take on loved ones to explain their issues to them, so they would use AI chatbots as a way to cope “on [their] own.”

Young people mentioned that they use AI chatbots for emotional support because AI chatbots wouldn’t judge them or use the experiences they shared against them, particularly for more sensitive topics. A young adult also expressed how talking to AI chatbots gave them a sense of control over their conversations.

When young people told AI chatbots about personal struggles that people in their lives may not be able to relate to, they felt that the chatbot’s responses suggested they took them seriously. They also thought the chatbot understood their struggles in a way that other individuals in their lives did not. Additionally, some young people felt that friends they’ve talked to about their problems in the past didn’t validate their feelings or couldn’t understand their experiences. Speaking to AI chatbots about these situations helped them fill these gaps.

In times of need, some young people prefer talking to AI chatbots about their issues due to their open availability, quick responses, and real-time support. For example, a Black young adult woman we talked to mentioned an experience in which she needed emotional support late at night; she couldn’t seek help from a person in her life because they were asleep, so she turned to an AI chatbot for immediate support. However, some young people also discussed how relying on AI for quick responses and availability has reshaped their expectations of their friends in their social interactions.

At times, a young person will be in a situation where they need another perspective, but they consider the people in their lives too close to be neutral. In turn, they will turn to AI chatbots as a neutral third party. This is especially seen in young people trying to navigate the conflicts they face.

In past situations where young people wanted concrete advice to manage their struggles, some thought AI chatbots would do so more effectively than the people in their lives. A Black teen girl we talked to found that ChatGPT would meet her desire to deeply explore her struggles and receive specific strategies for her issues, after feeling that her parents only gave her “surface-level” advice. Some also leaned on AI chatbots to act as a knowledgeable adult figure in their life.