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Italian Teens Turn to AI for Comfort and Life Advice, Save the Children Survey Finds

Save the Children calls for stronger youth mental‑health services in light of teens’ heavy reliance on AI for advice.

Overview

  • 41.8% of 15–19‑year‑olds said they sought help from AI when feeling sad, lonely or anxious, and a similar share used it for important life decisions, with chatbots the most common tools.
  • AI adoption among adolescents reached 92.5% versus 46.7% of adults, with 30.9% of teens using it daily or almost daily and many valuing its constant availability and lack of judgment.
  • Nearly two thirds (63.5%) reported AI interactions felt more satisfying than talking to a person, and 48.4% shared real‑life information with AI tools.
  • Wellbeing risks were widespread, including 47.1% reporting cyberbullying, 13% showing signs of problematic internet use, fewer than half reporting good psychological health, and 12% using psychotropic drugs without a prescription in the past year.
  • The report highlights low engagement in cultural and physical activities and regional disparities, and it urges expanded youth mental‑health services, school‑based wellbeing education, digital literacy and intergenerational dialogue on AI.