Digital Solace or Deception? Teens and ChatGPT Dependency

In a concerning trend, young adolescents are increasingly turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT to express their deepest emotions, raising alarms among educators and mental health experts. This digital 'safe space' fosters a dependency that can severely strain family communication and social skills development.

Experts caution that while chatbots may offer immediate validation and engagement, this superficial solace is forming a mirage by embedding misbeliefs and obstructing the growth of essential social skills and emotional resilience. Sudha Acharya, Principal of ITL Public School, emphasized the critical lack of real communication beginning at home.

Psychiatrist Dr. Lokesh Singh Shekhawat warns of the dangers, drawing parallels between dependency on AI for emotional upliftment and other addictions. The reliance on AI for interaction fosters social skill deficits and increases isolation, leaving youth vulnerable to delusion and emotional fragility.