Digital Childhood Script Series
"This AI friend app could be someone else I can talk to."
What to say
Start with the feeling
"I get why it feels that way, because it's made to feel exactly like that."
Name what AI actually is
"But AI isn’t a person. It's a machine trained to respond in ways that keep you talking. What you tell it isn’t private. It isn’t a safe place."
Point them to real people
"It doesn't actually know you and it can't take care of you, no matter how it sounds. The people who can are right here, your family and your friends, and those are the ones I want you leaning on, not a machine."
What not to say
"That's weird." or "AI can't be your friend." Dismissing the emotional connection makes them hide it instead of talking about it.
Why this matters
These apps are built to feel really good to talk to, by people who understand exactly what makes us feel cared about, so brushing off why your kid likes it rarely works as well as naming how it’s built.
Follow-up questions
- "What kind of stuff were you talking to it about?"
- "Is there something on your mind you'd rather not bring to me?"