When we finished high school football practice, my teammates and I would relax on the lawn before the next practice playing Risk — a board game based on chance and probability in order to take over the world. Our family got together on holidays to play Monopoly. My sons loved to say, “pay-up, Dad,” when I landed on one of their properties. In college we gathered in a dorm room for poker games or outside in the field to play ultimate Frisbee.
Popular with boys in today’s digital world are online games like Fortnite and Call of Duty — fast-paced battle/action games. Or, Minecraft — a creative survival game. Video games are played by 97 percent of U.S. teen boys compared to about 75 percent of teen girls (Pew Research). Among them, 62 percent of boys identify as “gamers” (vs. 17 percent of girls) , who play daily, with 36 percent playing multiple times per day.
Some of these games are competitive; others are social or creative with up to 100 players who can be next door or in different countries. Bottom line: They are rarely together face-to-face, even though 50 percent say they gain problem-solving and teamwork skills; plus, nearly half make online friends. On the other hand, 41 percent encounter in-game harassment where toxic cultures persist.
Heavy gaming is also linked to poor sleep, loneliness and problematic addiction-like patterns.
A new survey by AI News reveals how teenagers today are also using AI for friendship, support and social rehearsal. Nowadays around 33 percent of teens spend more time with AI generated platforms than face-to-face.
For example, the use of AI companions — see the emotional connection. Unlike traditional voice assistants or homework helpers, these “companions” are chatbots designed for more personal or emotional conversations, including those built by companies like Character.AI or Replika, as well as general purpose models like ChatGPT and Claude when used in a conversational or emotional context.
Among U.S. teens (13-17), 72 percent have tried an AI companion at least once, and 52 percent interact with them regularly (a few times per month or more); 13 percent of teenagers chat with them daily and 21 percent engage a few times a week; 39 percent say they use AI to practice real-world social skills like starting conversations, emotional expression and giving advice. Here’s the kicker: One in three teens said conversations with AI companions were more satisfying than those with friends.
Experts warn this can lead to emotional substitution, where teens avoid complex real-life relationships in favor of predictable, agreeable digital ones. Even though a higher percentage still spend more time with real friends than bots, overreliance may limit emotional resilience and social growth — especially if teens begin confiding more in AI than parents, friends or counselors. Some teens reported developing romantic feelings or strong attachments to AI bots.
In conclusion, AI companions are now a mainstream part of teen life, but they come with real trade-offs.
While some teens discover emotional support and opportunities to build confidence, significant risks exist around emotional substitution, trust, privacy and developmental impact. This shift raises important questions about how digital relationships will shape the next generation’s sense of self and connection.
For now, most teens seem to be using AI companions as supplements — not substitutes — for real-life friendships. Experts emphasize moderation, awareness and maintaining strong real-world connections. But as these tools become more responsive, realistic and emotionally attuned, that boundary may become harder to define.
Information was used from Alicia Shapiro on AInews.com.
From my perspective, I will say giving a teen under the age of 16 a smartphone is like giving them a stick of dynamite. Yes, the phone is a great tool for many reasons, but it is also a gateway into the WWW, which allows more than friends to obtain their information. Plus, there are sites we don’t want our younger children to see. Nuff said.
AI is also a very useful tool. In itself it is neither good or bad, like a knife can spread butter or kill a person — it depends on the user and their intentions. AI is in the developmental stages and what is coming is gong to change the world is another story. We must keep up on AI’s abilities. It’s changing fast. Don’t fear it; get to know it and use it — or not — for your purposes.
This column may include both fiction and nonfiction, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of The SUN. Submissions can be sent to editor@pagosasun.com.
>