88% students turn to AI tools like ChatGPT to manage stress: Study
The web survey reached young people through social media, education networks, and youth organisations, drawing insights from the 13–35 age group. Its purpose was to capture how Indian youth are engaging with AI, not just as a tool for productivity but increasingly as a companion in moments of stress.GROWING RELIANCE ON AI FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORTThe findings show that 57 per cent of young Indians actively use AI for emotional support, whether for advice, casual conversations, or expressing thoughts they would not share with others.The trend is strongest among teenagers, especially in the 13-18 age group.ChatGPT emerged as the most preferred AI platform for these interactions, ahead of other tools like Google's Gemini or Character.AI. The survey noted a clear gender divide: 52 per cent of young women reported sharing personal thoughts with AI, compared to about half that figure among young men.In smaller towns, reliance on AI for emotional expression was even more pronounced. Around 43 per cent of respondents from non-metro cities admitted using AI to confide in, outpacing their metropolitan peers.CONCERNS OVER ISOLATION AND PRIVACYThe study also recorded strong caution among young users. About 67 per cent of respondents said they were worried about AI deepening social isolation, while 58 per cent expressed concerns over privacy and the misuse of personal data.This tension, between heavy reliance and growing distrust, was described by the survey authors as the defining feature of youth-AI engagement.The report argued that AI is not replacing human emotional support but filling gaps that remain unaddressed by families, friends, and institutions.It described the phenomenon as young Indians building 'a new emotional geography,' where AI becomes a safe space for thoughts that may feel out of place in personal circles.'Young Indians are creating a new emotional geography where AI handles the thoughts too risky for family WhatsApp groups and too embarrassing for friends,' the report stated. 'This isn't about choosing machines over people. It's about having somewhere to put feelings that don't fit anywhere else.'advertisementYKA, which calls itself India's largest citizen-led media platform, and YLAC, which works on youth participation in policymaking, said this was the launch study in their Youth Pulse series.Future rounds will explore how young people negotiate other aspects of technology and society.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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