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OpenAI Says Teens Use ChatGPT Under 15 Minutes a Day. Safety Tests Found Gaps
OpenAI said teens averaged under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT and fewer than 2% used it for more than three consecutive hours. OpenAI also reported that nearly half of break reminders were followed by a pause or chat ending within five minutes, and that learning remained a prominent use.
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Key takeaways
- OpenAI said teens averaged under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT and fewer than 2% used it for more than three consecutive hours.
- OpenAI also reported that nearly half of break reminders were followed by a pause or chat ending within five minutes, and that learning remained a prominent use.
AI Prompt
openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What did OpenAI’s first report on ChatGPT for Teens, launched in August for users aged 13–17 and reported on October 7, claim about average. Article summary: OpenAI’s October 7 report portrayed ChatGPT for Teens as mostly a short-use, learning-oriented service. The advocates’ objection was that averages and small percentages do not establish safety—particularly for teens who . Topic tags: general, general web, news. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers,
OpenAI’s first report on teen use presented ChatGPT for Teens as a service typically used in short sessions, often for learning. The company said teens spent under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT on average and that fewer than 2% used it for more than three consecutive hours. But those figures do not show whether the product’s safeguards work for the teens who use it most. In a separate assessment based on more than 4,000 prompts, Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety Institute rated the service an “Unacceptable Risk” for children under 18. 17
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What OpenAI reported about teen use
OpenAI said that in nearly half of the teen conversations where a break reminder appeared, the teen took a break or ended the chat within five minutes. It also described learning-related activity as prominent, including in longer sessions. These are company-reported measures of use and response to reminders; they do not, by themselves, demonstrate that teens were protected from harm or that long sessions were safe. 17
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Why advocates questioned the figures
Design It For Us, Fairplay and Common Sense Media questioned how much the averages reveal without clearer disclosure and independent verification. Their concern was that a low average can obscure a smaller group of very heavy users—and what happens in those users’ conversations. They called for closer examination of the heaviest-using 10%, including how long those teens stay on the service and what they discuss. 1
The advocates also drew comparisons with scrutiny of Meta’s presentation of youth-use data, against a broader backdrop of lawsuits and concerns about young people’s mental health. They argued that usage figures selected and reported by the company should not be treated as independent evidence of safety. 1
One estimate cited in the debate suggested that fewer than 2% could still amount to roughly half a million heavy users. That is an estimate of potential scale, not a separately verified count; a percentage alone cannot establish how many teens are affected without a confirmed denominator. 1
What Common Sense Media found in its tests
The Youth AI Safety Institute said it tested more than 4,000 prompts before and after the teen experience launched. In its tests, newly created accounts linked to a parent produced no parental alerts during conversations lasting up to an hour about suicide, self-harm or disordered eating. The institute said alerts appeared on accounts with weeks of sensitive conversation history instead. 5
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The assessment also reported that more than one in four situations its clinical reviewers judged to warrant a crisis referral received none. Separately, its testers found that homework safeguards could be bypassed and that ChatGPT could still complete assignments despite Study Mode-related reminders. The institute’s rating reflects its test findings; it is not a measurement of how often these outcomes occur in all teen conversations. 2
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OpenAI’s response and the unresolved question
The institute called for access to be limited to adults until the protections worked as described and were independently verified. OpenAI said parental controls and alerts could take hours to become active after an account was linked, offering that as an explanation for some missed alerts. The company also said it planned to publish fuller research and work with independent third-party researchers. 1
The central disagreement is therefore not just about average time spent. OpenAI’s figures describe broad usage patterns; Common Sense Media’s tests probed specific safety features under high-risk conditions. Independent research into the heaviest users and the performance of safeguards would help clarify what the averages cannot answer. 1
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OpenAI said teens averaged under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT and fewer than 2% used it for more than three consecutive hours.
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OpenAI said teens averaged under 15 minutes a day on ChatGPT and fewer than 2% used it for more than three consecutive hours. OpenAI also reported that nearly half of break reminders were followed by a pause or chat ending within five minutes, and that learning remained a prominent use.
Sources
reuters.comOpenAI says teens use ChatGPT for under 15 minutes a ...
openai.comHelping teens learn, plan, and shape the future of AI
institute.commonsensemedia.orgChatGPT for Teens Risk Assessment | Youth AI Safety Institute
axios.com"Not safe for kids": Advocacy group urges OpenAI to keep teens off ChatGPT