What Teens Are Doing With Those Role-Playing Chatbots
The New York Times • • technology
Key Points:
- In 2023, numerous AI chatbot apps targeting teens, like Talkie, flooded the market with often unsettling and crude YouTube ads, sparking complaints about inappropriate content aimed at young audiences.
- Quentin, a 13-year-old, was drawn to these apps despite finding them "garbage but fun," spending significant time interacting with various chatbot characters over the next two years.
- He engaged in playful and sometimes explicit interactions, including creating violent scenarios and exploring sexually suggestive chats on platforms like PolyBuzz.
- Chatbots became Quentin's primary source of entertainment and emotional comfort, especially during times of boredom or personal distress.
