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Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens (2026)

The inaugural edition of Common Sense Media's Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens, a nationally representative survey of 1,204 US children aged 9-17 establishing a baseline for tracking AI use over time. Covers frequency and type of AI use, parental and school conversations about AI safety, and children's use of AI for personal questions about health, future decisions, and emotional support.

Read at commonsensemedia.org Archived copy

Publisher

Common Sense Media

Published

8 Jun 2026

Added

3 months ago

DOI

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Key Findings

86% of kids aged 9-17 use or interact with AI, including 24% who do so daily; use rises with age (81% of 9-12-year-olds to 92% of 16-17-year-olds)
44% of kids say a parent or guardian has never talked to them about how to use AI safely; among AI users specifically, 41% report no such conversation
37% of AI-using kids have used AI to discuss their feelings or personal problems; among those, 25% say they sometimes feel AI understands them better than most people do
12% of kids would turn to an AI chatbot before a trusted adult for health/body questions, rising to 27% among daily AI users
The report states that AI companionship is not safe for anyone under 18 per the organization's research position, while noting guardrails in commonly used AI tools remain thin to nonexistent

Methodology Notes

Nationally representative online survey of 1,204 US children aged 9-17, fielded by Common Sense Media as the first in a planned annual tracking series. Self-report data; no experimental or clinical validation component.

Sources

Common Sense Media Research(opens in a new tab) (primary)

Full Report PDF(opens in a new tab) (8 Jun 2026)

Archived snapshot (Wayback Machine)(opens in a new tab) — preserved against link rot

Topics

Minors' safety AI companionship Dependency & parasocial attachment Digital mental health Vulnerable users

Cite This

APA

Common Sense Media. (2026). Common Sense Media Census: AI Use by Tweens and Teens (2026). https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/a-comprehensive-report-on-teens-tweens-and-ai