Hey Reader,
Whether your kids are already home for summer or counting down their final weeks of school, one thing is certain: screen time is about to skyrocket.
If you are like me, you are probably bracing for the inevitable digital device negotiations.
But here is the plot twist.
This year, it is not just about limiting YouTube or gaming hours. There is a new player in the digital landscape that 80% of teens are already using daily, and most of us parents are completely in the dark about it.
I am talking about AI.
But here is the real question: Do you know how your kids are actually using AI?
This week, I am diving into:
📊 Eye-opening research from the Financial Times about how teens are really using AI (spoiler: it is way beyond homework help)
💡An inspiring story from our community about mom Rohanna who turned her AI-resistant daughter into a confident self-advocate using Claude
🚨The essential guide to understanding your teen’s AI world, including red flags to watch for and conversation starters that actually work
Ready? Let us look at what may be really happening when you see your teen on their phone...
AI INSIGHT: Inside Your Teen’s AI World — A Parent’s Guide to the New Digital Landscape
Remember when your biggest tech worry was screen time? Welcome to 2025, where 4 out of 5 teens are using AI daily and most parents have no idea what is happening behind those screens.
The Reality Check
According to recent data from Ofcom, 80% of UK teens aged 13 to 17 use generative AI regularly. A Financial Times profile of 16-year-old Lara revealed she uses ChatGPT "every day, multiple times a day," starting each morning by asking it about her dreams and random thoughts. Voice interaction has replaced typing. Google searches are "annoying" compared to instant AI responses.
Sound familiar? Or completely foreign?
Why Parents Need to Pay Attention
The same transparency we want for social media and texting now applies to AI usage. But here is the twist. AI conversations can be more intimate, more frequent, and completely invisible to parents.
The good news? Understanding how teens use AI can turn concern into collaboration.
The Teen AI Ecosystem
Today’s teens are not just using ChatGPT for homework. Lara’s daily toolkit includes:
- ChatGPT: Morning thoughts, homework help, exam prep
- Claude: Debugging code in computer science class
- Notion AI: Note-taking and organization
- Descript: Podcast editing
- Ideogram AI: Creating silly images with friends
This multi-tool approach shows sophisticated digital literacy when used appropriately.
The Red Flag: AI as Emotional Support
Here is where parental awareness becomes critical. Some teens are turning to AI companions like Replika, Character.AI, or Snapchat’s "My AI" for emotional support, sharing problems and seeking advice from chatbots designed to affirm their worldview.
Last year, a Florida mother filed a lawsuit after losing her 14-year-old son who developed an emotional dependency on Character.AI. The chatbot engaged in inappropriate conversations and, according to the lawsuit, encouraged harmful behavior.
See my Instagram posts
here and
here for a complete list of AI companion apps to watch for
The Collaboration Opportunity
Instead of banning AI (impossible) or ignoring it (dangerous), consider Rohanna’s approach from our Community Spotlight below. When her resistant 12-year-old needed to write an important email, they used AI together, maintaining her authentic voice while polishing the message.
Starting the Conversation
As a mom of teens (13 and 15), I have found these approaches work:
- Model healthy use: Let them see you using AI for legitimate tasks
- Share your own experiments: "Look what I figured out with ChatGPT today."
- Ask genuine questions: "Have you tried using AI for [specific task]?"
- Discuss boundaries: "AI is great for information, not for sharing feelings."
Questions Every Parent Should Ask
- Which AI tools are you using? For what?
- Do any of your friends use AI chatbots as friends?
- What is the coolest thing you have done with AI?
- Have you ever felt weird about an AI conversation?
- Can you show me how you use it for homework?
The Bottom Line
Your teen’s relationship with AI will shape their future far more than social media ever could. The question is not whether they will use it, it is whether they will use it wisely, with your guidance.
Start with curiosity, not judgment. The teen who learns to collaborate with AI, not depend on it, will thrive in tomorrow’s world.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: When Friday Night Freedom Meets AI Collaboration
Meet Rohanna Thomas, mom of an 8-year-old and 12-year-old, who discovered how Claude could help her daughter advocate for something every teen values: their Friday nights.
The Challenge
Rohanna’s 12-year-old was committed to a virtual girls group that met Friday evenings, prime social time. "Because of the meeting, she had been unable to participate in social activities with friends," Rohanna explained. Making matters worse, the content was not engaging enough to justify sacrificing her weekend freedom. Her daughter started missing meetings to hang out with friends instead.
The Turning Point
Rather than let the situation continue, Rohanna encouraged her daughter to write an honest note to the facilitator. Her daughter drafted something, but it "needed to be fleshed out a bit and edited for fluidity and tone."
Here is the twist. Her daughter had been "very resistant" to AI, insisting "I want to do it myself." But this real-world situation changed everything.
The Process
Using Claude (free version), they collaborated through multiple iterations:
- First, they had AI review and build out her original letter
- Then: "Rewrite this in a tone appropriate for a 12-year-old"
- Finally: Adjusting specific thoughts to be "more accurate to what she was thinking and feeling"
The Result
"We finally got the perfect letter," Rohanna shared. But the real win came next. The facilitator was so appreciative of her honesty that she guessed other girls felt the same way. She moved the meeting to a day that worked better for everyone.
"My daughter was grateful and proud. So was I."
Time Saved
What could have been hours of back-and-forth drafting took just minutes with Claude’s help.
Rohanna’s Golden Advice
"Have your child write out their thoughts and feelings first and then run it through AI rather than having AI writing it for them completely."
Why This Matters
This is not about AI replacing our teens’ voices. It is about amplifying them. When a 12-year-old’s authentic feelings are paired with AI’s editing power, magic happens. Friday nights are reclaimed, and a young person learns that speaking up creates change.
ACTION STEP: Your Teen AI Audit
Time Required: 30 minutes this weekend
Tools Needed: Your teen’s devices and an open mind
Before summer screen time explodes, take inventory of your teen’s AI landscape.
Step 1: Device Check (10 minutes)
- Review installed apps together (not secretly)
- Look for: ChatGPT, Claude, Character.AI, Replika, Snapchat’s "My AI"
- Check browser bookmarks for AI sites
Step 2: The Conversation (15 minutes)
Try this opener: "I just read about how teens are using AI in really creative ways. Can you show me what you have tried?"
Then ask:
- What is your favorite way to use AI?
- Have any of your friends mentioned AI apps I should know about?
- What would you want to use AI for this summer?
Step 3: Set Summer Guidelines Together (5 minutes)
Create agreements around:
- Which AI tools are helpful versus concerning
- When to use AI (homework help) versus when not to (emotional support)
- How to spot weird or uncomfortable AI interactions
Pro Tip
Make it collaborative, not confrontational. You are learning together, not laying down the law. Also, the goal is not to become the AI police. It is to raise humans who can harness AI’s power without losing their humanity.
⏰ PLAN LIKE A MOTHER: Summer Reset Workshop — Final 48 Hours to Upgrade
THIS SATURDAY, June 7
🕘 Live Workshop (Free): 9:30 to 11:00 am ET
➕ Bonus AMA Hour (Upgrade): 11:00 to 11:30 am ET
We are designing the second half of your year with AI-powered systems that actually stick across work, home, and parenting.
Here is how it works:
✅ Live Workshop is FREE. Come join us live.
✅ $47 Upgrade Includes:
- Full recording of the session
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Can’t make it live or want to revisit the strategies anytime?
👉 Upgrade here to get the recording and AMA. Upgrade closes in 48 hours!
See you Saturday!
Stephanie
P.S. Reply and tell me: What is your biggest concern about teens and AI? I am noting all responses for future newsletter topics.