1. Violent Content Is Common in AI Companion Use

When kids use AI, 42% of the time it’s for companionship. About 37% of those interactions involve violence, and the exchanges are unusually long. Kids who move into violent storylines type more than 1,000 words a day in these apps — more than in any other category Aura analyzed, including Sex and Romance, Friend, and Emotional Support. 

Half the time violent themes appear, they happen alongside sexual roleplay. Violence also shows up across the platforms kids use most. 59% of kids surveyed say they saw at least one violent video in the past year, and 36% saw several. The survey also shows that YouTube is the most common source (62%), followed by TikTok (50%), Facebook (43%), Instagram (36%), Snapchat (23%), and X/Twitter (19%).

There are early signs that kids recognize the potential harms. Half of those surveyed said they would worry about their own screen time if they were in a parent’s position. That self-awareness sits alongside a space where violent online content is easy to find — and, in AI chats, easy to stay in.

2. Kids Are Growing Up Faster in AI Chats

Aura’s data shows that younger adolescents are entering mature conversations with AI earlier than many parents expect.

Among 11-year-olds turning to AI for companionship, 44% of conversations involve violence; this is higher than any other age group.

At 13, sexual or romantic roleplay becomes the most common topic in AI-companion chats, appearing in 63% of conversations for that age.

The interest doesn’t hold for long. After 15, sexual and romantic roleplay drop sharply, suggesting that early teens — not older ones — are the most curious about these themes in AI chats.

By 16, another turn appears. 19% of conversations at this age take the form of emotional support.

Parents say they’re watching these changes happen earlier than they remember from their own childhood. 86% of surveyed parents believe kids are growing up faster than previous generations, and 34% say children start acting like teenagers at 11 or 12.

3. Kids Can’t Unsubscribe From Digital Stress

Across the device data, teens 13–17 who spend more time on social media show higher levels of digital stress. The idea comes from the Digital Stress Scale (Hall et al., 2021), which Aura also used in its earlier report on kids’ digital stress. The scale defines five pressures: approval anxiety, availability stress, connection overload, fear of missing out (FOMO), and online vigilance.

Among preteens (8–12), those on social media report nearly 40% more digital stress than peers who stay off. Girls are more active on the platforms where stress is most often reported: 64% use social media, compared with 52% of boys; 57% use AI tools, compared with 41% of boys.

Families are feeling the strain, according to Talker Research. Nearly half believe technology is harming their child’s emotional well-being — 51% cite concerns for girls, compared with 36% for boys. Many are tightening rules at home: 50% set screen-time limits, 64% require approval for online purchases, and 49% withhold devices until chores or homework are done.

4. Device Rules Are Creating Rifts at Home

Nine in ten parents say they argue with their kids about device use, more often than about chores or homework. Taking a device away rarely resolves the issue; 59% of parents say it usually starts an argument. At the same time, 57% of surveyed parents say they use their phones more than their kids, even while cracking down on tech use at home.

Kids tell a similar story. Technology is the number one reason they clash with their parents. Losing a device leaves most feeling frustrated (56%) or annoyed (50%), and only 16% say the consequence helps. Sixty-two percent of surveyed kids say they wish they could flip the script and take away their parents’ phones.

Both groups agree on what sets these fights off: too much screen time, bedtime phone use, gaming, device use during meals or family time, social media, and inappropriate content. These findings come from the national parent–child survey conducted for this report.

For the complete findings, download the full report: Aura’s State of the Youth Report 2025 (PDF) →