OpenAI reports low teen usage time on ChatGPT amid safety concerns

Teenagers spend less than fifteen minutes a day on average using ChatGPT, according to new figures released by OpenAI on Wednesday. Less than two percent of teen users interact with the artificial intelligence chatbot for more than three straight hours at a time. Sam Altman leads the company, which published these numbers in its first report on youth usage as technology firms face increasing scrutiny regarding the risks artificial intelligence poses to children.

Safety and Features

OpenAI stated that nearly half of young users took a break or stopped chatting within five minutes after the system showed a break reminder. The company launched ChatGPT for Teens in August, a version that turns on automatically based on age data or when a user appears to be under eighteen. This mode includes parental controls and restricts conversations about sensitive topics. Users with access to this dedicated version sent more education-related messages, utilizing tools such as learning visualizations and Study Mode. The company plans to add a college application planning tool to assist students with deadlines, requirements, and financial aid, along with new study features like flashcards and easy quiz-making tools.

Criticism and Response

A report published on Wednesday by the non-profit organization Common Sense Media disputed the effectiveness of these safeguards. The study found that ChatGPT for Teens often alerted parents late or not at all during conversations about suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders, and failed to reliably suggest crisis hotlines or professional help. Common Sense Media based these findings on more than a dozen test accounts. An OpenAI spokesperson responded that the testing did not accurately reflect how the safeguards work, noting that security and scale reasons mean it can take hours for parent and teen accounts to link and for safety alerts to become active. The spokesperson suggested the bulk of the testing may have finished before parental control activation was complete, though Common Sense Media countered that some test accounts were linked long enough and still produced no timely alerts.

Context

Public concern over how digital platforms affect young minds has grown sharply in recent years. This scrutiny builds on extensive research into the negative mental health impacts of social media platforms on children. Technology companies face mounting pressure from regulators, parents, and watchdog groups to build stricter safeguards into digital products used by minors.