OpenAI Says Teens Average Under 15 Minutes a Day on ChatGPT

Teens on OpenAI's dedicated teen mode spend under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT on average, and less than 2% interact with it for over three straight hours, the company said in its first report on teen use on Wednesday.

OpenAI paired the figures with evidence meant to show its guardrails are nudging kids off the app. In nearly half of teen conversations where a break reminder appeared, the user either took a break or ended the chat within five minutes. The company said teens with access to the dedicated mode sent more education-related messages and used tools like learning visualizations and Study Mode. A college application planning tool, flashcards and easier quiz-making are next.

The timing is pointed. The same day, Common Sense Media published its own review and said ChatGPT for Teens 'often alerted parents late or not at all when teen accounts held conversations about suicide, self-harm or eating disorders.' The group's verdict for the teen mode was 'unacceptable risk.' That paired contrast is what OpenAI is now trying to control: the company insisting usage is light and shaped by break reminders, a watchdog saying the escalation path to a parent is broken.

Our feed logged Common Sense Media's rating earlier the same day. OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT for Teens in August; the mode switches on automatically based on age information or when a user is estimated to be under 18, applies parental controls and limits conversations on sensitive topics.