Teens increasingly turning to AI for friendship as national loneliness crisis deepens

The report explained further that the "use of AI companions is not a niche interest, but rather mainstream teen behavior" and that teens "find conversations with AI companions to be as satisfying or more satisfying than those with real-life friends."

"AI companions are emerging at a time when kids and teens have never felt more alone," Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer said in the press release. 

"This isn't just about a new technology - it's about a generation that's replacing human connection with machines, outsourcing empathy to algorithms, and sharing intimate details with companies that don't have kids' best interests at heart. Our research shows that AI companions are far more commonplace than people may have assumed - and that we have a narrow window to educate kids and families about the well-documented dangers of these products."