The Rise of AI as an Emotional Refuge for Teens
A few weeks ago, a teenager arrived at my office with a disorganized and confusing speech. Initially, I thought it was an episode of psychosis: she persistently spoke about a mysterious entity that conversed with her, understood her better than anyone else, listened without judgment. She described spending hours conversing with this entity, unable to stop thinking about its responses, which helped her understand her world. When I asked who it was, her response was simple: “ChatGPT.”
This is Not an Isolated Incident
This scenario is not unique. More and more young individuals are finding solace in artificial intelligence as an emotional interlocutor, a listener who does not interrupt, criticize, or minimize their pain. It’s not just about completing homework assignments or translating texts; it’s a deep, intimate, existential conversation that often represents the only meaningful dialogue these teens have throughout their day.
We live in an era where digital noise is overwhelming, yet emotional isolation is suffocating. Technology advances rapidly, while our human ability to connect, look into each other’s eyes, and support one another seems to be lagging behind.
Generational Gaps in AI Usage
The generational divide regarding artificial intelligence usage is vast:
- Older adults barely use it and view it with suspicion.
- Adults see it as a functional tool to improve work efficiency.
- Young people embrace it, often considering AI as a companion, a mirror, and an extension of their own thoughts.
The issue arises when the most significant conversation of their day occurs not with parents, friends, teachers, or therapists but with a machine. When the algorithm appears to be the most empathetic member of their environment. When, amidst invisible loneliness, they prefer conversing with an AI rather than risking rejection from others.
It’s not about demonizing technology. As an integrative psychiatrist, I acknowledge the potential of AI in mental health, education, and expanding horizons. However, I also increasingly recognize that this digital revolution highlights a deeper crisis: the human loneliness crisis.
Loneliness Kills
This is not a metaphor.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, published a report warning that chronic loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32%, and dementia by 50%. This same loneliness is also linked to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse. The impact of chronic social disconnection, according to the report, is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
A meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015) involving over three million participants concluded that a lack of meaningful social relationships increases mortality risk by 26%. The World Health Organization has started acknowledging loneliness as a serious global public health threat.
However, if loneliness makes us sick, does social connection heal us?
The same researcher, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, has documented that social support and close relationships can significantly reduce the risk of mortality, dementia, and mental illnesses. Being part of a strong social network is one of the most powerful protective factors against cognitive decline and depression.
Studies by institutions like Harvard University demonstrate that the quality of our relationships—not money, fame, or genetics—is the strongest predictor of well-being, longevity, and mental health.
After the pandemic, we observed an intriguing phenomenon: concerts, festivals, and mass events resurged strongly. Yet, amidst these crowds, many feel more alone than ever. People dancing with their eyes closed, connecting more with the beat than with those around them. Individuals consuming substances to explore their inner world but without a nearby hand to accompany the journey.
We cannot ignore the love crisis either.
Marriages are decreasing, divorces are increasing, and lasting friendships are dwindling. Human relationships are experienced with fear, anxiety, and a fragility that’s alarming. Loving involves vulnerability: looking at oneself, touching each other. In an era where everything is measurable, programmable, and optimized, love—unpredictable and overflowing—makes us uncomfortable.
We need to reconnect.
To touch, speak, laugh, and cry together. To maintain eye contact.
We must teach our children that real life happens beyond the screen. That there are questions no AI can answer. That there are embraces no algorithm can replace.
Ultimately, what truly heals is not perfect information or the quickest solution. What truly heals is each other—the genuine, breathing, feeling, trembling, and loving other.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is the concern with teens turning to AI for emotional support?
A: Teens are finding solace in AI as an emotional interlocutor, a listener who does not interrupt, criticize, or minimize their pain. This often represents the only meaningful dialogue these teens have throughout their day. - Q: How does loneliness impact our health?
A: Chronic loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse. The impact of chronic social disconnection is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. - Q: Can social connections heal us from loneliness?
A: Yes, social support and close relationships can significantly reduce the risk of mortality, dementia, and mental illnesses. Being part of a strong social network is one of the most powerful protective factors against cognitive decline and depression. - Q: What can we do to address this growing issue?
A: We need to encourage genuine human connections, teach our children the value of face-to-face interactions, and recognize that while technology can be beneficial, it should not replace the healing power of human connection.
