A recent study carried out by DAK‑Gesundheit together with the University Hospital Hamburg‑Eppendorf and presented in Berlin this week found that AI chatbots are intensifying risky media consumption among German children and adolescents.
Nearly 8 % of minors use AI applications as a way to fight loneliness, while the figure jumps to over 30 % among youngsters who show depressive symptoms. More than a quarter of all young people use these apps several times a week; from the age of 15, more than half use them at least once a week.
Up to about 10 % of children and teenagers turn to chatbots to distract themselves from negative feelings, ease loneliness, or discuss confidential matters. Among those already experiencing depressive symptoms the numbers climb sharply: roughly one‑third tell a chatbot things they would otherwise only share with close friends or never reveal at all, and a similar proportion believe the chatbot understands them better than a real person.
The data also show that AI chatbots have moved beyond a marginal role in adolescents’ digital lives. More than two‑thirds trust the chatbot’s statements at least sometimes, and over 40 % trust it often or very often. The primary motives are help with homework and information gathering, while more than half use the technology simply out of curiosity and for fun.
In Germany, millions of children and teens still face problems stemming from high media consumption. An estimated 1.5 million youngsters use social media problematically, putting them at risk of addiction or already affected. In the 2025 survey wave, 21.5 % of 10‑ to 17‑year‑olds reported risky social‑media use-about 1.1 million children, slightly up from 21.1 % the year before.
Pathological use has also risen: 6.6 % of 10‑ to 17‑year‑olds were classified as addicted or dependent in 2025, amounting to roughly 350 000 children and adolescents, an increase of 1.9 % compared with the prior year.
Since 2022 the study has examined online video consumption as well. One in five adolescents now uses streaming services, Reels, and similar content in a risky manner-a 60 % rise from the previous year-and 4 % of children and teens meet addiction criteria for such media.
Parents’ media‑protection actions were also investigated. Sixty‑one point five percent of mothers and fathers discuss their children’s media use with them, and 62.5 % set limits on the content their children may access. Among parents of 10‑ to 13‑year‑olds, around 90 % impose rules regarding their children’s media content and offerings.
