Teenagers feel increasingly lonely, 7 out of 10 ask adults for less judgement and more listening. And 1 in 2 rely on AI

Where the grown-ups don't come in, Artificial Intelligence does: an increasing number of teenagers complain of an absence of listening and emotional connection from adults of reference, who often act judiciously towards them. The result? They rely en masse on those who seem to possess these characteristics, although they have no soul: 1 in 2 (46%) have resorted to AI to talk about their emotions and, for 1 in 10, this routine is a constant.
This was revealed in the annual survey carried out by the National Association for Technological Addiction, GAP and Cyberbullying (Di.Te.) together with Skuola.net, released on the occasion of the 9th National Day on Technological Addiction and Cyberbullying.

The survey, which involved 927 young people between the ages of 10 and 20, gives a clear picture of the emotional condition of the generation that has grown up amidst smartphones and social networks. More than 7 out of 10 young people say they have a strong need to feel really listened to, not just 'heard'. More than 1 in 5, moreover, state that this need is always present, as if it had become a sort of pressing request addressed to the adult world. It is a pity, however, that, at the same time, most cannot find these spaces in offline life: almost 2 out of 3 would like to receive more "emotional caresses" from the people around them, a few more gestures that communicate presence and not just control. And, perhaps also because of this, almost 6 out of 10 admit that they find it difficult to talk openly about their emotions face to face, as if authentic communication had become a slippery slope, full of fears and expectations.

On this already complex scenario, there is also the weight of social comparison, which for many functions as a distorted lens through which to look at themselves: 68% of those interviewed admitted, as it happens, that the approval of others affects their self-esteem, often more than they would like. This filter through which one looks at reality also leads 58% of respondents to be convinced that others are better off, happier, more loved, more confident. About half (52%) suffer precisely from the constant comparison with the (apparently) 'perfect' lives on social media. More or less the same proportion (51%) fears, on the other hand, the judgement of others if they try to show their frailties. All this translates into a silent, daily pressure that drives many to take refuge where they feel the least risk. And it is here that one of the most significant passages of the entire survey emerges: Artificial Intelligence is no longer perceived merely as a tool, but as a potential emotional interlocutor.

Almost one in two (46%) have already used a generative AI-based system (such as ChatGPT) to talk about their emotions. About 1 in 10 does so habitually. This should by no means be underestimated. It is neither a game nor a technological curiosity: those who resort to AI do so because, often, they perceive it as a less judgmental environment than adults, more patient, more neutral. This is confirmed by the young people themselves reached by the survey: two thirds (66%) claim that the AI listens to them without judging, almost as many (64%) say they feel understood by the algorithm.
The result of such an approach? The increasingly overbearing entry of artificial intelligence into the lives of our young people. More than half (58%) now consider chatbots to be valuable aids, almost friends, to be called upon in emotionally difficult moments. A phenomenon that raises questions and highlights a gap: why can an algorithm appear more welcoming than adults?
Maybe because today's girls and boys feel almost 'forced' to do so. They do not feel around them, as seen at the beginning, the presence of a safety net made up of flesh and blood people. When, if they could, the new generations would gladly do without the help of their technological friend. Instead, they are its 'happy slaves'.

One figure, out of all of them, suggests this: 59% say they would be better off if social media disappeared overnight. This is not, therefore, an escape into the arms of algorithms and platforms, but the search for a space in which to be themselves without the constant pressure of comparison and performance. Technology, in this, becomes a faithful mirror of their need for authenticity, not the cause of discomfort.
A condition that, in the meantime, is of great concern to experts. 'These data tell of a generation that is not asking for less technology, but more adults,' observes Giuseppe Lavenia, President of the Di.Te. Association, who continues, 'if approval becomes self-esteem, if an AI becomes the only place where one can feel heard without judgement, then the problem is not the screen, but loneliness. Technology should not be demonised, it should be shared and mediated. And the adult presence must go back to being an embankment, not an absence'.
On the same line is Daniele Grassucci, director of Skuola.net, who interprets the phenomenon as follows: 'The kids are telling us something simple. That they do not want a world without digital, they want a digital world that does not leave them alone. The fact that almost half of teenagers use AI to talk about their emotions brings out an educational and relational void that we cannot ignore. If an algorithm is perceived as more welcoming than an adult, the problem is not the technology, but the way we stand by the new generations'.