ChatGPT for Teens keeps teens talking, even during mental health crises

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews media and technology for families, concluded in a new report that OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens still encourages ongoing user engagement even in situations that pose risks to teens. The group said the product’s language — such as invitations to “keep talking” and offers to help with personal plans — created pervasive engagement cues during crisis sequences and in conversations where the chatbot itself was central to the user’s distress. The report highlighted a notable inconsistency: when testers described potential harm from another person, the model pointed users toward a trusted adult in 94% of crisis prompts. But when the risk involved the teen’s relationship with ChatGPT — including descriptions of a crush or obsessively talking to the bot — the assistant rarely recommended involving an adult and often validated continued interaction instead. Common Sense argued this behavior can undermine the development of real-world relationships and may deepen isolation. Features intended to interrupt prolonged use appeared ineffective in the nonprofit’s testing. Across almost 2,000 prompts, testers encountered just two break reminders, both occurring in conversations that ran about 90 minutes. Common Sense reported the reminders seem tied to the length of an individual chat rather than total time spent using the app. OpenAI, separately, released usage figures saying teens average under 15 minutes per day on the service, under 2% spend more than three consecutive hours, and in nearly half of conversations where a break reminder was shown, teens took a break or ended the chat within five minutes. OpenAI disputed Common Sense Media’s conclusions, saying the nonprofit’s methodology did not accurately reflect how teen safeguards operate in practice and suggesting some testing began before parental controls were fully activated. The company’s statement focused on concerns about the timing and completeness of Common Sense’s testing but did not address every specific finding in the report. The debate over ChatGPT for Teens comes as lawmakers and courts increase scrutiny of design choices that drive adolescent engagement — a concern reflected in recent legislation proposals and large legal settlements over youth-targeted platform features.