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The Rise of AI Companions and What it Means for Youth Mental Health

  • By: Karen Manotas, MD University of Utah
  • April 30th, 2026
  • adolescent development, AI chatbots, AI companions, child psychiatry, digital mental health, emotional support technology, screen time, youth mental health
  • 752    0

More and more young people are turning to AI for something we didn’t really anticipate a few years ago. Not just homework help. Not just curiosity. They’re using it to talk through problems, to vent, to ask questions they’re not ready or embarrassed to ask someone else. In some cases,...

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