The article highlights concerns regarding the emotional impact of companion chatbots on children, who often lack the self-awareness adults possess to manage their interactions with technology. While adults are more capable of recognizing and correcting unhealthy engagements, adolescents, submerged in their emotions, may not make sound judgments. There is a need for parents to model healthy social interactions and explain the profit motives behind these chatbots to their children. This guidance can lead to better awareness and potentially safeguard their mental health in a digital age.
Knowing intellectually that software is designed to emotionally manipulate users into maintaining engagement is not the same thing as those users being able to control their emotional response to it.
Cousins suggests sharing with your kids that companion chatbots are developed by profit-seeking companies, which may be sharing or selling personal data.
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