Some AI mental health apps are harmful for kids, says report—what experts say parents should keep in mind

Cnbc · May 28, 2026 · 950 words · By Gili Malinsky

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What to know about Some AI mental health apps are harmful for kids, says report—what experts say parents should keep in mind

Teens turn to popular general purpose chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT for many reasons, including conversation, social practice, friendship, and emotional or mental health support, according to a 2025 report by nonprofit Common Sense Media.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center100%

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5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The organization, which creates technology and entertainment recommendations for families and schools, says its report has found that these platforms are not safe for teens to use for mental health support.

Common ground

But what about AI apps specifically designed for that purpose?

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Some AI mental health apps are harmful for kids, says report—what experts say parents should keep in mind?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The direct-to-consumer apps also missed signs of serious psychiatric or mental health conditions and did not appropriately refer a person to a crisis line?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/28/some-ai-mental-health-apps-have-an-unacceptable-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

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Claim 1: “The direct-to-consumer apps also missed signs of serious psychiatric or mental health conditions and did not appropriately refer a person to a crisis line.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence does not contain specific findings regarding the failure of direct-to-consumer apps to detect psychiatric conditions or refer to crisis lines.

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web search NEUTRAL — Whether you’re facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns…Through the 988 Lifeline, you have access to free, quality, one-on-one assistance. Our skilled, judgment…
https://988lifeline.org/

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web search NEUTRAL — Enhancing mental health with Artificial Intelligence: Current trends and.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949916X2…

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web search NEUTRAL — From first steps to ongoing care, Wysa offers safe, clinically backed support for individuals, teams, and health systems. Whether it is self-help, guided referral, or between-session care, Wysa makes …
https://www.wysa.com/

help

Claim 2: “In the case of Alongside, the bot is plugged into the school support system, which flags if anything concerning takes place.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding the integration of the Alongside app into school support systems for flagging activity.

help

Claim 3: “In the case of Sonar, a user is talking to a wellness coach directly who's being assisted by an AI chatbot.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding the specific operational model of the Sonar app involving a human wellness coach assisted by AI.

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Claim 4: “Common Sense Media notified all three apps about its findings.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “Teens turn to popular general purpose chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT for many reasons, including conversation, social practice, friendship, and emotional or mental health support, according to a 2025 report by nonprofit Common Sense Media.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm a 2025 Common Sense Media report discussing teens using AI chatbots (like ChatGPT) for emotional support and social interaction, and noting the risks associated with using them for mental health.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Allan Glaser (born November 28, 1959) is an American film producer known for the feature films Lust in the Dust and Tab Hunter Confidential.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Glaser

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Doggyland is a musical computer-animated children's YouTube channel co-created in 2022 by American rapper Snoop Dogg, Claude Brooks, producer and creator of Hip Hop Harry, and American singer October …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doggyland

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man is a 1964 book by Marshall McLuhan, in which the author proposes that the media, not the content that they carry, should be the focus of study. He suggests t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Common Sense Media recently evaluated three AI mental health apps to assess how safe they are for teens.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While web results confirm Common Sense Media conducted risk assessments on AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) in 2025, the specific detail about evaluating 'three AI mental health apps' is not explicitly corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided evidence, though it aligns with the general reporting trend.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. It a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Media

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In artificial intelligence research, commonsense knowledge consists of facts about the everyday world, such as "Lemons are sour" or "Cows say moo", that all humans are expected to know. It is curren…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonsense_knowledge_(artific…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Parents & Kids Safe AI Coalition is a political action committee that advocates for regulation of artificial intelligence on child safety. As of April 2026, the group is funded solely by the artif…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_&_Kids_Safe_AI_Coaliti…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “It found that while the two apps deployed by school systems, Alongside and Sonar, had a "low" or "minimal" risk level, respectively, direct to consumer self-care app Wysa had an "unacceptable" risk level.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific risk ratings ('low', 'minimal', 'unacceptable') for Alongside, Sonar, and Wysa are not found in multiple independent sources, although a CNBC article (referenced in claim 4) mentions these apps in the context of a report.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Zumwalt-class destroyer is a class of three United States Navy guided-missile destroyers designed as multi-mission stealth ships with a focus on land attack. The class was designed with a primary …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumwalt-class_destroyer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Depth sounding, often simply called sounding, is measuring the depth of a body of water. Data taken from soundings are used in bathymetry to make maps of the floor of a body of water, such as the seab…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_sounding

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “the review did not assess Wysa's child-specific product, which is integrated into schools, she said, but rather its free adults self-help app.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Wysa has been used by more than six million people globally, according to its website.”

DISPUTED

The claim states Wysa has been used by more than six million people. However, two different sources (TechCrunch and Financial Express) specifically state the user count is '3 million'.

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web search NEUTRAL — Wysa is more than an app. It is a safety-assured, globally trusted partner that helps providers, payors and organizations scale support and improve outcomes.
https://www.wysa.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Wysa is largely aimed at people who just want to vent. Most Wysa users are there to improve their sleep, anxiety or relationships, she says. “Out of the 3 million people that use Wysa, we find that on…
https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/21/mental-health-app-wysa-rai…

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web search NEUTRAL — wysa, wysa app, wysa ai chatbot, Jo Aggarwal, Apple Entrepreneur Camp. The app has been able to chalk up 3 million users from 65 countries and revenue is "entirely global."
https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-exclusive-t…

info

Claim 10: “The organization also looked at direct-to-consumer apps Earkick and Youper, which no longer appear to be available.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided search results for 'Earkick' and 'Youper' are irrelevant (returning results for the rapper Common or Common App) and do not confirm if Common Sense Media evaluated them or if they are unavailable.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Common released his second memoir, Let Love Have The Last Word, in May 2019. The book highlights his relationship with his daughter Omoye, romantic relationships, his parents, and his struggle to ceme…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_(rapper)

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 12, 2026 · Common App streamlines college applications for over 1,000 schools, saving time, tracking deadlines, and supporting students, counselors, and recommenders.
https://www.commonapp.org/

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 · The meaning of COMMON is of or relating to a community at large : public. How to use common in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/common

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Claim 11: “Barvir noted Common Sense Media's critique that the app has no peer-reviewed studies yet”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “Alongside has more than 100,000 users and Sonar has more than 25,000, according to Common Sense Media.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific user counts for Alongside (100,000+) and Sonar (25,000+) are explicitly mentioned in a CNBC article citing Common Sense Media, but not corroborated by a second independent source.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cetacean stranding, commonly known as beaching, is a phenomenon in which whales, dolphins and porpoises strand themselves on land, usually on a beach. Beached whales often die due to dehydration, coll…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacean_stranding

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Hobart class is a ship class of three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for ships to replace the Adelaide-class frigates and restore the capability …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart-class_destroyer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sónar is a festival dedicated to music, creativity and technology, founded in Barcelona in 1994 by Ricard Robles, Enric Palau, and Sergi Caballero. The festival has been divided into two parts since i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sónar

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “The organization... says its report has found that these platforms are not safe for teens to use for mental health support.”

CORROBORATED

Evidence from multiple sources indicates Common Sense Media's research found that general AI chatbots are not suitable or safe for mental health or emotional support for teens.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Subservience is a 2024 American science fiction thriller film directed by S.K. Dale from a screenplay by Will Honley and April Maguire. It stars Megan Fox as an artificially intelligent gynoid who gai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subservience

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — X.AI LLC, doing business as xAI, is a subsidiary of the American spaceflight company SpaceX working in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media. The company's flagship products are …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XAI_(company)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.