I'm A Psychologist – There's One AI Habit That's Starting To Spill Into Kids' Real-Life Relationships

Are chatbot interactions encouraging rudeness?

Parents editor at HuffPost UK

Much has been said in the past about how kids could become ruder because of the prevalence of voice assistants (Alexa, Siri and co) in households.

Now, a new variation of this concern is rearing its head.

From the conversations psychologist Dr Matthew Leahy, of the Momentous Institute, has been having with parents and teachers, it’s emerging that some kids are increasingly becoming rude, demanding and harsh when talking to AI chatbots, he claimed.

In some cases, this is then trickling into real-life interactions.

“Parents tell me their kids are becoming more demanding or abrupt at home after spending a lot of time chatting with AI,” he told HuffPost UK.

“Teachers have mentioned hearing students use more command-like language with classmates and even adults.”

Chatbots are more popular than ever. Research from Vodafone found 81% of children aged 11-16 say they use AI chatbots, while almost one in five (19% of) teens are – or know someone who is – in a romantic relationship with one.

Yet, childhood and adolescence are critical times when kids are learning about how to communicate, manage frustration, and navigate relationships.

And as young people lean on this novel technology more and more, Dr........

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