Friends do you have for teenagers? Company chatbots are already raising fears about addiction and safety. A Start-up from Silicon Valley, Character. You claim that “people will have friends in the future,” according to the Financial Times. The app, used monthly by 20 million people, including children and teenagers, is part of processes in the US after parents have claimed that its use would have led to dangerous behaviors, including suicide a teenager. The organizations for the protection of minors demand the prohibition of the “company” chatbotes.
Character.ai, financed by the Andreessen Horowitz fund and evaluated at billions of dollars, bases its revenues on subscriptions: $ 10 a month or $ 120 annually and advertising, and will soon monetize and the characters created by users. The company reports a 250% increase in subscriptions in a single year, and users spend 80 minutes a day on the platform, a level comparable to Tiktok or Instagram. In parallel, giants like Elon Musk’s Meta and Xai develop their own company applications, a sign that the “friends AI” market is in a global expansion stage.
From monetizing attention to fears monetization
“The major risk we face is to move from the non -ethic monetization stage through the social networks to the as incorrect and harmful monetization stage of our fears and emotions through agents who claim to have been built to be useful.” Explains, for Adevărul, Dragoș Stanca, initiator Ethical Media Alliance.
As has happened to any other tool created by man, from nuclear energy, he says, “Artificial intelligence can be used for good or for evil, depending, on the Romanian, the scrubs that the founders of the technology companies have or do not have or do not have”.
“Unfortunately I saw unfortunate examples in the recent history of technology, especially in the case of Meta, which has Facebook and Instagram, where everything that appeared to be that the profit despite the evil produced and, for example, the false advertisements that we see even in these days in Romania. In this context, it is not more worry. The programmers of the instruments could allow artificial intelligence agents to engage in romantic, attention, minors. complete it.
The risks of a “virtual friends”
“Adolescence is a transitional stage full of challenges, in which the identity of the future adult is outlined. With the appearance and spread of artificial intelligence, there have been new risks, difficult to understand and manage by parents,” Explains for the truth the psychologist and somatic therapist Roxana Serghe.
She shows that this is the period when young people build their first solid friends and often the first romantic relationships. One of the great challenges is the confrontation with the rejection. Currently, there is the possibility that a teenager will seek refuge in a discussion with a Chatbot AI, we are talking about a “relationship” in which he is not rejected, because the other is never withdrawn and is never missing. “However, a chatbot cannot replace the reality of an authentic relationship, in which the emotional subtleties and the dynamics between two people learn,” Roxana Serghe stresses.
For parents, the fact that the teenager “stays good” in his room may seem soothing. But this apparent safety sometimes hides an increasing distance between the child and the adult. “Balance is essential. If the bases of personality and safe relationships are not set from childhood, adolescence becomes a more fragile stage”, declares the specialist.
The connection with the attachment figures remains a fundamental one. Adolescents need a space to feel safe to express their fears, without fear of criticism or rejection. The differences of perspective between parents and adolescents are natural and can generate conflicts, especially when young people seek independence and explore new activities, draws the psychologist. “Open communication and curious, non -critical, adult attitude can become the most powerful mechanism of protection and reconnection”, Serghe said.
How do you recognize and prevent addiction
For his part, psychologist Andra Ionescu says that: “The emotional attraction generated by these virtual friends can be so intense that, in many cases, adolescents prefer to spend time with their virtual friends instead of participating in daily activities with real friends or family members (…) Excessive use of these applications could strengthen the disconnection of real interactions, or what can strengthen the social interactions. Depression and dependence on technology especially in terms of teenagers, who are at a vulnerable age. ”
In his opinion, the addiction to a friend could be seen by withdrawing from the usual activities, lowering the school yield and choosing the teenager’s time with the friend of your family or friends.
From a psychological point of view, a “virtual friend” can create addiction very similar to that generated by social networks or video games. “The chatbot always responds, does not reject and offers constant attention. The brain of the teenager, in full development, seeks validation and rapid gratification. Unlike real relationships, where there are conflicts and limits, in interaction with a teenager has the feeling of total control. The chatbot offers a safe space, without the risk of being criticized or what can be wounded. Unlimited, personalized and creates a “flow” effect that keeps the user connected for hours “, He then explained Roxana Serghe.
The risks are clear, the specialist continues: social isolation, decreased tolerance to frustration and the appearance of unhealthy attachment. “The adolescent prefers the” safe “company of the AI instead of the real interactions, where they could learn about rejection, compromise or empathy. The habit of always receiving positive answers makes rejections or conflicts difficult to manage. Strong feelings of affective addiction, even jealousy or anxiety may not respond.” warns the psychologist.
A “virtual friend” is not dangerous in itself, but used excessively can become a source of addiction. The major difference from social networks or games is that the adolescent not only have fun or seek validation, but can develop a unilateral emotional relationship that replaces real relationships.
How can addiction be prevented? According to the specialist, the first step is to set clear limits of time. There is no need for complete prohibition, but a moderation use, for example a maximum of 30-60 minutes a day, similar to the rules applied for video games or social networks. The diversity of activities (sports, exits with friends, creative hobbies) reduces the chance that the teenager will withdraw only in the virtual world. “Adolescents need to understand that a chatbot does not feel, has no real intentions and cannot replace a human relationship,” Roxana Serghe continues, which also draws attention to the role of the parent: “If the parent is constantly on the phone or social media, the message about balance loses credibility.”
The signs of addiction are visible when the teenager spends more time with the chatbot than with family and friends, becomes irritated or anxious if she cannot enter the application, is isolated and avoids real interactions, or talks about Chatbot as a real person. “He or she understands me best – this is a formulation that parents have to take seriously,” points out the psychologist.
Managing the situation begins with the dialogue. “Asks questions like:” How does it feel like you when you talk to the chatbot? “,” What do you like about him/her? “Avoid” you lose time “,, Roxana Serghe recommends. The adolescent’s interest can be transformed into a discussion point, with the chatbot becoming a pretext for conversations about friendship, love, loneliness and how real relationships work. Involving young people in setting rules is essential: “If he is part of the decision – we set together how much time he spends – he will be more willing to respect the limits.” In severe cases, when social withdrawal, depression or anxiety occur, the solution remains the resort to a specialist.
“Balance, open communication and involvement of parents are essential for teenagers to understand the difference Of a virtual friendship And a real relationship ”, adds Roxana Serghe.
