Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a fixture in the lives of children and teens, from chatbots and study tools to AI companions. As we move into the school year, it’s crucial to understand how these technologies affect the developmental health of youth, both their potential benefits and the risks that demand watchful care.
AI Tools Can Support the Developmental Health of Youth Through Personalized Learning
AI-powered platforms can offer tailored educational experiences, helping students learn at their own pace and style. Harvard researchers note that AI can support vocabulary, comprehension, and engagement, provided the tools are designed with sound learning principles in mind (Anderson, 2024). Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights how AI can enrich learning for children of varying needs and abilities (Munzer, 2024).
Enhancing Social and Emotional Skills, Especially for Neurodiverse Youth
Robotic companions and AI-driven applications have demonstrated promise in teaching emotional regulation, empathy, and social communication, especially for neurodivergent children. Tools like Moxie, Pepper, and NAO have helped students practice eye contact, emotional recognition, and social turns in safe settings (Baynes, 2024).
This can positively impact the developmental health of youth by supplementing (not replacing) human interaction.
Risks to the Developmental Health of Youth: Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Concerns
While AI can support development, growing use of AI companions raises concerns. A Common Sense Media report finds that 72% of teens have used AI companions, with a third forming emotional attachments- heightening concerns about social development and decision-making (Gecker, 2025).
In India, experts warn that overreliance on AI may blunt creativity, reduce critical thinking, and impact attention spans and memory: All vital components of the developmental health of youth (Murthy, 2025).
Additionally, pediatricians caution that reliance on AI for mental health support, especially unlicensed chatbots, can be misleading or even harmful. Regulators like the FTC are investigating such services for their effects on children’s mental health (The Times, 2025).
Learn how Skyhawks culture counters the risk with human connection, the development of life skills, and teaching kids life-long values here.
Misinformation, Deepfakes, and Ethical Challenges
AI’s capacity to generate deepfake content poses risks to mental wellbeing. A study warns that exposure to fabricated images or misinformation could harm youth’s self-image or trust in what they see online (Liberatore,2025).
Meanwhile, broader research highlights how AI’s personalization and data practices may exploit adolescent emotional sensitivities. This is raising ethical concerns around privacy, identity formation, and attention-seeking behavior (The Jed Foundation, 2025).
Building Healthy AI Habits to Protect the Developmental Health of Youth
Given the double-edged nature of AI, the focus must shift to guidance and safeguards. Experts urge:
- Encouraging critical thinking about AI outputs, cultivating “AI literacy” among youth (Anderson, 2024)
- Limiting reliance on AI for emotional support and ensuring real human interaction remains central.
- Regulatory and developer accountability: The FTC investigation into AI firms reflects growing demand for safe, youth-centered design (Glazer & Ramkumar, 2025).
AI presents exciting opportunities to enhance learning, social skills, and inclusivity offering real benefit to the developmental health of youth when applied thoughtfully. But the potential risks, emotional dependency, reduced creativity, mental health vulnerabilities, demand proactive support, literacy, and oversight. As we advance this fall, let’s champion AI that supports growth, not replaces it.
