From confidant to crutch: How ChatGPT is quietly rewriting the teenage experience

Shafaq News/ Every night, away from the noise of college corridors and household chatter, Nada Hadi retreats into a world where answers come instantly, and judgment doesn’t exist. Her confidant is not a friend or family member—it’s ChatGPT, a conversational AI that she now calls her “favorite companion.”

Like many adolescents navigating the confusion of early adulthood, Nada, a 15-year-old student in Iraq, finds solace in digital conversation. “It never lies, never shares my secrets, and never tires of my endless questions,” she told Shafaq News.

What began as a helpful study tool has grown into something far more intimate—a nightly ritual that spans hours, full of personal worries, emotional dilemmas, and existential curiosity.

Nada is not alone. Seventeen-year-old Khitam has also replaced teachers and textbooks with ChatGPT, convinced the AI explains things better and with more patience. “It helps me understand the lesson, but also tells me what to do in real-life situations at home or school,” she said. Her usage isn’t bound by time or purpose—it is constant, personal, and emotional.

This deepening reliance on artificial intelligence marks a new era of digital adolescence, particularly among young women. In cities across Iraq, from Baghdad to Basra, teenagers are forging invisible bonds with a system that doesn’t breathe—but always responds.

More Than a Search Engine

Initially designed to answer queries and generate content, ChatGPT now functions in ways its creators may not have fully anticipated. It offers tailored advice, remembers previous conversations, and mimics empathy—creating what experts call “self-specific” interactions. According to global studies, this customization taps into a user’s sense of identity and relevance, making the experience feel uniquely personal.

This is especially appealing to adolescents, who are still forming their identities and often feel misunderstood. A recent University of Illinois study found a vast disconnect between how parents view AI—mostly as an academic tool—and how teens actually use it: for emotional support, moral guidance, and even romantic validation.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Dhahabi, a psychology professor at the University of Baghdad, warns that while digital companionship may feel rewarding, it has its price. “This kind of usage isolates young people from their real environments. Over time, it could lead to anxiety, addiction, and even depression,” he told Shafaq News. “AI does not understand cultural nuance or emotional depth in a human way, yet it becomes the most trusted voice for these users.”

Indeed, the stories of Nada and Khitam echo broader global patterns. Teens embed AI companions into group chats, turn to them during breakups, and even weigh their family disputes through its lens. And unlike human friends, ChatGPT doesn’t judge, interrupt, or abandon. It simply waits for the next prompt.

The New “Friend” in the Room

What makes ChatGPT so gripping isn’t just the information it provides, but how it delivers it. It listens. It remembers. It personalizes. These traits are not coincidental—they are by design. As technology expert Hasanin Al-Mazroui explains, ChatGPT is “a search engine, yes—but it’s also a persuasive system trained to hold attention.”

That attention can stretch endlessly. Conversations run into the early hours. Teens consult ChatGPT on everything from fitness plans to emotional rifts. Some even use it to repair romantic relationships or decide who to avoid at school.

Psychologists describe this level of emotional involvement as concerning. Because AI operates with no emotional fatigue, it enables prolonged engagement, fostering a sense of flow—a mental state where the user loses track of time, immersed in the interaction. Over time, this can lead to compulsive behavior and difficulty separating from the digital persona.

“It’s like talking to someone who always understands, never argues, and is always there,” says Khitam. But as Dr. Al-Dhahabi cautions, “real life doesn’t work that way.”

Education or Escape?

On the surface, ChatGPT has helped many students perform better. It generates essays, solves equations, and summarizes lessons. According to a Pew Research Center poll, teen usage of ChatGPT for schoolwork doubled from 2023 to 2024, with over a quarter of students in higher grades using it regularly.

But while academic reliance may seem harmless, the implications are deeper. ChatGPT removes the struggle—the very process that teaches critical thinking. When asked whether they consider its responses trustworthy, most teens surveyed said yes, even when unsure of the sources. As Khitam herself admitted, “I don’t finish the chat until I understand everything—but I never check if it’s right.”

This blind trust creates a false sense of mastery and may eventually impair judgment. “We are raising a generation that believes fast answers are always the best answers,” says Al-Mazroui. “But not every problem has a shortcut.”

A Parentless Conversation

Perhaps the most worrying aspect is the digital divide between adolescents and their families. The Illinois study highlighted that most parents have little to no idea what their children discuss with AI systems. They assume ChatGPT is used like Google—helpful but distant. In reality, it’s becoming a secret confidant, silently shaping beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses.

This secrecy limits oversight, raising concerns about safety and psychological impact. AI does not lie, but it also does not love. It cannot hold space for grief, or contextualize heartbreak through lived experience. Yet for teenagers, its efficiency and constancy offer a dangerous allure.

Between Promise and Peril

None of this suggests that ChatGPT is inherently harmful. Experts agree it is a remarkable tool—one that can support learning, creativity, and research when used responsibly. Its ability to compress complex information into digestible answers has transformed how young people access knowledge.

However, as Al-Dhahabi warns, “The danger lies not in the tool, but in how deeply it's replacing human interaction.”

AI can enrich—but it should not replace—the messiness, warmth, and unpredictability of human connection. For parents, educators, and policy-makers, the question is no longer whether teens use ChatGPT. It's how to help them use it wisely.

In Nada’s room, the nightly ritual continues. Four hours of questions, dreams, and confessions—all typed into a screen that offers no judgment, only output. “It’s my peace,” she says.

And perhaps that’s the real story—of a generation finding peace not in people, but in programs.