AI is already everywhere.
Especially for Gen Z. It is woven into school, social media, work, and entertainment, and as its use grows, so do the questions about what it does to young minds.
As its use grows, so do questions about how it affects young people's critical thinking, emotions, and behaviour. Gen Z is the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology and constant access to online information.
“Generation Z is the first cohort to grow up in a world dominated by smartphones, social media, and ubiquitous access to information. These digital natives have developed distinct cognitive, motivational and behavioral patterns that differ significantly from those of previous generations.”
“AI has penetrated into people's daily life on a variety of levels.” (Spector and Ma 1)
The quiet trade-off.
The problem isn't that AI is used; it's how often it replaces the thinking we'd otherwise have done ourselves.
- I
Over-use, not use, is the problem.
When reaching for an AI answer is as easy as opening an app, the slow, effortful thinking that builds critical-thinking skills gets skipped.
- II
Skills strengthen through reps.
Critical thinking and self-regulation grow with practice. When AI supplies the structure and conclusions, Gen Z loses the repetitions that build those abilities.
- III
Low-stakes work is the practice ground.
Summarizing readings and routine writing tasks are exactly the chances to practice analysis, and AI quietly removes them.
- IV
From creator to checker.
The reader's intellectual role shifts from building an argument to verifying and editing AI output.
“Over-reliance on AI poses risks to the development of critical thinking and self-regulatory skills.”
“While AI can improve efficiency, it may also reduce critical engagement, particularly in routine or lower-stakes tasks in which users simply rely on AI, raising concerns about long-term reliance and diminished independent problem-solving.”
“Higher confidence in GenAI is associated with less critical thinking, while higher self-confidence is associated with more critical thinking.”
“The excessive use of ChatGPT in education and other large language models can also contribute to the undermining of independent thinking, creativity, critical thinking, and analytical thinking as students can accept AI-generated answers without critical examination or verification.”
What the research actually says.
of respondents believed that critical thinking skills are lacking in today's youth.
(Spector and Ma 8)
of adolescents developed AI dependencies over time.
(Head 36)
What it costs to feel through a chatbot.
The psychological side of over-relying on AI: comfort that can quietly become dependence.
Many turn to AI for emotional support and reassurance, but heavy reliance can deepen dependence and worsen pre-existing conditions instead of solving them.
AI chatbot dependence is described as an emerging form of digital addiction that works through the brain's reward system, similar to social media.
Those already struggling with loneliness, social anxiety, or depression are at heightened risk of forming attachment to and dependence on AI.
AI-driven social media algorithms have been linked to increased anxiety and depression in young people.
Emotional reliance on AI can replace human connection, increasing loneliness and social withdrawal.
“Recent evidence suggests significant psychological consequences accompany prolonged or intense engagement with generative AI.”
“Generative AI chatbot dependence represents an emerging form of digital addiction that similarly impacts cognitive function and psychological regulation through the brain's reward system.”
“The findings reveal a significant connection between time spent using AI tools and mental health issues, with teenagers reporting symptoms such as anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, and reduced social skills.”
“Social media, with its growing use of AI algorithms to determine what content gets displayed to users… has been associated with increased anxiety and depression among young people.”
“Young people expressed concerns that the use of AI technology might worsen their emotional states, lead to addiction, increase their psychological stress or pose privacy and security risks.”
“Many participants perceived that AI technology fails to genuinely understand, interpret or respond to the complexity of human emotions.”
Beyond the screen.
How Gen Z actually uses AI, and what the habit carries over into.
AI isn't just for schoolwork. People use it for advice, deciding what to say, and routine daily problems, often before thinking for themselves.
What drives Gen Z's use is a mix of factors; convenience and trust pull people in, while emotional concerns push them away.
The same reflex that accepts an AI paragraph without checking can lead to accepting AI advice on real-life decisions without weighing alternatives.
“Personal, technological and environmental factors jointly shape young people's behaviours, with perceived usefulness, trust, privacy and convenience emerging as key motivators, while concerns about emotional connection, value and complexity acted as barriers.”
“Most students used GenAI for information acquisition rather than information transformation.”
How reliant are you?
A short, non-judgmental self-check. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere; this runs entirely in your browser.
Where do you fall?
A quick, anonymous gut-check. Everything stays in your browser; numbers shown below are illustrative.
Do you think AI is helping or hurting your thinking?
The research, visualized.
Small charts built only from the figures in the brief. No stock imagery, just typography and SVG.
Critical thinking, judged lacking.
Share of respondents who said critical thinking skills are lacking in today's youth.
(Spector and Ma 8)
Adolescent AI dependency.
Range of adolescents who developed AI dependencies over time.
(Head 36)
Confidence vs. critical thinking.
Trust in AI moves in the opposite direction from critical thinking; trust in yourself moves with it.
Trust in AI ↑
Critical thinking ↓
Self-confidence ↑
Critical thinking ↑
(Lee et al.)
Use it with purpose.
The point isn't to reject AI; it's to use it intentionally so it supports thinking instead of replacing it.
- 01Try the problem first, then use AI to check, compare, or get more examples.
- 02Treat AI as a starting point for thinking, not a replacement for it.
- 03Notice the quiet trade-offs: confidence in the tool vs. confidence in yourself; convenience vs. competence.
“A close partnership between AI and human intervention remains essential, particularly for the development of students' interpersonal and emotional skills.”
Closing the growing gap between digital fluency and real intellectual ability starts with noticing these trade-offs.
About the project.
- Danny Myeong
- Saige Hicks
- Edward Graham
- Yuxin He
How has the rise in AI usage among Gen Z changed the skills they operate with, how they regulate their emotions, and how they interact with problems throughout their daily lives?
As outsourcing critical thinking to AI tools becomes more commonplace, the gap between digital fluency, intellectual competence, and emotional understanding continues to widen, especially for Gen Z.
This interactive site was created to help Gen Z reflect on their own AI use. It is built entirely on academic research into AI's effects on critical thinking, emotional regulation, and daily life.
References
- Chardonnens, Sarah. "Adapting Educational Practices for Generation Z: Integrating Metacognitive Strategies and Artificial Intelligence." Frontiers in Education, vol. 10, 2025, doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1504726.
- Head, Keith. "Minds in Crisis: How the AI Revolution Is Impacting Mental Health." Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology, vol. 9, no. 3, Sept. 2025, mentalhealthjournal.org/articles/minds-in-crisis-how-the-ai-revolution-is-impacting-mental-health.html.
- Kumar, Neeraj, et al. "The Dual Lens Impact of AI on Youth Mental Health and Perception." Journal of Neonatal Surgery, vol. 14, no. 23S, May 2025, pp. 522–27, doi.org/10.63682/jns.v14i23s.5776. Accessed 6 June 2025.
- Lee, Hao-Ping (Hank), et al. "The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects from a Survey of Knowledge Workers." Microsoft Research, 2025, microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/the-impact-of-generative-ai-on-critical-thinking.
- Matthews, Hannah, Stephanie J. Burns, and Sally M. Merry. "Critical Factors in Young People’s Use and Non-Use of AI Technology for Emotion Regulation: A Pilot Study." Applied Sciences, vol. 15, no. 13, 2025, article 7476, mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7476.
- Spector, Jonathan Michael, and Shanshan Ma. "Inquiry and Critical Thinking Skills for the Next Generation: From Artificial Intelligence Back to Human Intelligence." Smart Learning Environments, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019, article 13, link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40561-019-0088-z.
- Lin, Haozhuo, and Qiu Chen. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) -integrated Educational Applications and College Students’ Creativity and Academic Emotions: Students and Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes." BMC Psychology, vol. 12, no. 1, Sept. 2024, p. 487. doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01979-0.
- Zhou, Xue, et al. "The Mediating Role of Generative AI Self-Regulation on Students’ Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving." Education Sciences, vol. 14, no. 12, Nov. 2024, p. 1302. doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121302.