A growing number of children and teenagers are turning to AI-generated programs for advice, companionship and mental health support. The conversations provide instant feedback and anonymity, but sometimes, the advice offered can be wrong or even dangerous. They’re unable to identify or respond to a serious mental health crisis in the same way a caring parent or a professional therapist can. 

We spoke with pediatric psychologist Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., about kids using ChatGPT and other AI platforms for therapeutic support. 

As a pediatric psychologist who has worked with children on a variety of mental health issues over the years, what do you think about young people using AI chatbots for companionship and “therapy”? 

People are starting to blur the lines a bit between social interaction and computer programs, and I do worry about that. We all forget that as these revolutionary technologies emerge, they’re still limited in their scope. These are not trained and caring professionals. They’re not schooled in evidence-based interventions for mental health concerns. There is a lack of responsivity and a lack of the holistic care that we want our kids to have. 

One of the most important things to remember is that if your child is involved in any kind of therapy, you, as the parent, need to be involved in that. 

Some of the advice seems reasonable, supportive, even sound. But sometimes, it is not sound advice. Is there a way to help a child distinguish good online advice from bad? 

Helping a child learn to separate good advice from bad online is less about giving them a checklist and more about teaching critical thinking skills and staying involved in what they’re doing. There isn’t a perfect way for a child to know what’s trustworthy, but parents can guide them. 

First, open conversations are key. Encourage kids to come to you with advice they see or hear online and talk it through together. Modeling how you yourself double-check information, by asking questions, comparing different sources, or looking for expert input, shows them what good judgment looks like in real time. 

Second, monitoring is still important, especially for younger children. Until kids are older and more independent, parents should know what sites they’re using and what questions they’re asking online. There are tools and software that help with this, but the relationship and regular check-ins matter most. As a parent, I am checking my son’s devices regularly and monitoring.

Finally, it helps to set clear expectations: online advice isn’t always safe, and even when it sounds helpful, it needs to be tested against what you know to be true. Kids who learn that “pause and check” mindset early, not believing everything they read, will carry those skills forward as they grow. 

In a few cases, these AI conversations have been reportedly linked to tragic results, with young people taking their own lives. 

The use of these platforms in this way tells us our kids are out there looking for help and very much in need of that help. We need to be talking with our kids daily and to be open to listening to them when they come forward, prepared to support and provide resources if needed.

What can parents do to help their kids with mental wellness and to understand the limitations and the risks of these chatbots? 

All kids should have an open forum with their parents — to talk to them about what’s been happening, what their feelings are, and to have that open conversation with that trusted adult so they can get help if they need it.

We also need to have a conversation with our kids about algorithms, how they have a built-in bias and are designed to serve up more content to our kids of what they’ve been seeking. 

Help your kids to understand that things coming out on these software platforms are computer-based and not human. And they really need to know how that works, because if it’s not vetted by a human, it could be the wrong or even damaging advice.

Be extraordinarily cautious about taking any mental health advice from a computer platform. Keep in mind that when we’re seeking therapy for a mental health issue, we want to get the very best advice and that is evidence-based practice with a caring professional.