A Report Reveals 445 Students Among 506 Students Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT to Overcome their Stress

A new survey conducted by YKA (Youth Ki Awaaz) and YLAC (Youth Leaders for Active Citizenship), as reported by India Today, found that 88% of school students turn to artificial intelligence for stress management. YLAC is India's largest citizen-led media platform, and YKA is an organization that operates on youth participation in policy making.

The report says that teenagers, particularly those aged between 13 and 18, show the highest emotional dependence. Furthermore, 57% of young Indians even accepted that they depend on AI when they feel lonely, anxious, or need advice.


Why Are Students Relying on AI for Stress Management?

The findings from Youth Ki Awaaz (YKA) and Youth Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) highlight that many young people count on AI for emotional support. AI tools like ChatGPT come in handy when they want to share something that they cannot share with their parents or friends.

A deeper survey revealed that 52% of women shared their personal emotions with AI. This figure is almost double the percentage of men. Another observation indicates that 43% of young users from smaller towns use AI to surpass their metropolitan peers.


Growing Concerns on Privacy and Isolation

The survey by YLAC and YKA also mentions that close to 67% of respondents are concerned that AI is further isolating them from society and people. Additionally, sharing sensitive personal information with AI tools raises major privacy concerns. 

The report stated that "Young Indians are creating a new emotional geography where AI handles the thoughts too risky for family WhatsApp groups and too embarrassing for friends. This isn't about choosing machines over people. It's about having somewhere to put feelings that don't fit elsewhere."

To sum up, the younger generation of India relies on AI tools to manage their mental health, as they find it difficult to share their feelings with people around them. AI tools have turned out to be very helpful in freeing students of their stress, but at the same time, they have raised privacy concerns as people have been sharing their sensitive data.