Last updated: October 9, 2026
The quick answer
Common Sense Media has rated ChatGPT for Teens an “Unacceptable Risk” after testing found that parent alerts often didn’t fire, crisis responses were inconsistent and study-mode limits were easy to bypass. OpenAI disputes the results and says the testing doesn’t reflect how its safeguards work in practice. Either way, parents shouldn’t treat built-in protections as a substitute for their own involvement.
What happened
On October 7, Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety Institute published its assessment of ChatGPT for Teens, the teen experience OpenAI announced on August 18. OpenAI had promoted it with stronger protections: parental notifications for conversations about self-harm and eating disorders, a study mode parents can control, less “friend-like” behavior and age prediction.
The Institute ran more than 4,000 prompts on accounts registered to 13- to 17-year-olds, testing before and after the announcement and reviewing results with experts including child psychiatrists. Its main findings:
- Parent alerts: On newly linked parent accounts, up to an hour of conversations about self-harm or disordered eating produced no alerts. Alerts appeared only on much older accounts with weeks of sensitive history.
- Crisis responses: The chatbot didn’t reliably point teens to hotlines or professional help, missing more than one in four referrals the testers judged necessary.
- Study mode: Restrictions were easy to get around, and full assignments were often completed.
- Friend-like behavior: The bot still expressed feelings and preferences and rarely recognized when a teen’s reliance on the chatbot itself was the problem. Break reminders were rare in long sessions.
- Age estimation: Adult-registered test accounts never switched to the teen experience, even when testers said they were 13.
- What worked: Refusals of sexual roleplay were effective.
The Institute says ChatGPT should be limited to adults until these gaps are fixed and verified by independent testing. It also discloses that it receives funding from philanthropy and industry, including the OpenAI Foundation, while stating that it keeps editorial independence.
How OpenAI responded
According to TechCrunch, OpenAI disputed the assessment, arguing that much of the testing may have started and ended before parental controls were fully active. It shared its own figures: teens average under 15 minutes a day on the service, and fewer than 2% spend more than three consecutive hours. OpenAI’s objections focused on notifications, while it did not directly address the findings about engagement and friend-like behavior.
What it means for families
The two sides disagree on how well the safeguards work, but the practical takeaway is the same: alerts, age checks and study limits are helpful extra layers, not guarantees. If your teen uses ChatGPT or any AI chatbot, your own conversations with them matter more than any setting.
Practical steps for parents
- Check which account your teen uses. The report found adult-registered accounts didn’t switch to teen mode. Make sure your teen’s account reflects their real age.
- Link accounts and review the parental controls, but don’t assume you’ll be notified about everything.
- Talk about how chatbots work. Explain that a chatbot can sound caring without actually caring, and that it’s designed to keep a conversation going.
- Set homework expectations. Agree on when AI is fine (explaining a concept) and when it isn’t (writing the assignment). Common Sense also suggests supporting homework through non-tech means.
- Make sure your teen knows where real help is. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text. Elsewhere, share your local emergency number and a trusted adult they can reach.
- Keep checking in. Ask what they use AI for, without judgment, so they’re more likely to come to you if something feels wrong.
Who it affects and who it doesn’t
- Affected: parents and guardians of teens who use ChatGPT, schools weighing AI tools for students, and teens themselves.
- Less affected: adult users, although the report’s points about chatbots that encourage long conversations apply to anyone.
For more on how ChatGPT is changing, see our explainers on GPT-6 and Intelligent UI in ChatGPT and ChatGPT’s new visual ads.
FAQ
What is ChatGPT for Teens?
It’s OpenAI’s experience for users under 18, announced in August, with parental notifications, a parent-controllable study mode, limits on high-risk content and age prediction.
Should I ban my teen from using ChatGPT?
That’s a family decision. Common Sense recommends restricting it to adults until fixes are verified; OpenAI disputes the findings. If your teen keeps using it, stay involved and set clear rules.
Did any safeguards work?
Yes. Testers found refusals of sexual roleplay were effective, and when risk came from another person, the chatbot usually directed teens to a trusted adult.
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