Nine in ten teens who use AI say they spend too much time on it, YouGov finds

They are between 11 and 17 years old, and 92% of those who use generative AI say they spend more time on it than they would like, on at least one tool. The figure comes from a YouGov survey commissioned by Interface, a European think tank specializing in digital policy, and published on October 22.

The poll was conducted online in France from June 24 to 30, 2026. YouGov surveyed 1,138 parents of children aged 11 to 17 and 970 teenagers in that age group, with their parents' consent. The study, written by researcher Jessica Galissaire, distinguishes four types of tools: general-purpose assistants such as ChatGPT, voice assistants, AI built into social networks, and "companions," AI designed to converse like a friend.

Virtual companions hold teens the most

General-purpose assistants dominate: 78% of teens say they use them, ahead of voice assistants (55%), social network AI (50%) and companions (32%). The order flips when it comes to time spent. Among their users, 59% feel they use companions too much and 57% say the same of social network AI, compared with 45% for general-purpose assistants and 43% for voice assistants.

Teens still get something out of these tools: 89% of those who know them see at least one positive aspect, and 47% say they save them time. According to Next, which reviewed the survey, only 17% think AI stops them from thinking for themselves.

The youngest users are the ones parents see the least

Use starts early. Among 11- and 12-year-olds, 56% use at least one AI tool every week, and regular use reaches 70% among 16- and 17-year-olds. Parents are most wrong about the youngest: 26% think their 11- or 12-year-old uses a general-purpose assistant every week, while 40% of those children say they do.

Another figure raises questions: 14% of users aged 11 to 12 use AI to confide in it, compared with 6% of 13- to 15-year-olds. The study also notes that 50% of regular companion users feel negative emotions every week, compared with 38% of all teenagers. The author cautions that these data do not show that AI causes this distress.

Parents who feel little support

On the parents' side, 76% see benefits, chiefly deeper knowledge (32%), and 58% see risks, first and foremost harm to independent thinking (27%). Among those whose child uses AI, 44% say they are not comfortable with it. Finally, 42% do not feel supported at all. They expect help from schools (51%), AI providers (41%) and public authorities (30%).

For families, these figures suggest a few simple habits:

• ask your child which tools they use, including AI built into social networks, which parents notice less;
• pay particular attention to companion apps, where teens say they spend the most time;
• don't assume the youngest children are kept away from them.

Interface does not put forward any legislative proposals. The think tank calls for better information for families and for stricter oversight of systems designed to hold attention for long periods or to create emotional attachment. The issue is already before the courts in the United States, where eight states accuse OpenAI of downplaying risks to minors. It remains to be seen who in Europe will answer the 42% of parents who feel alone in the face of these tools.