Screen Time Guidance for Ages 5 to 16 Is Coming: What the Government Announced
Published 10 June 2026. Every fact in this post was checked against GOV.UK and the Department...
Update, 7 July 2026: The ground has shifted since this was written. After lawsuits and regulatory pressure, Character.AI banned under-18s from open-ended chats with its bots from late November 2025, and most major companion apps now state they are for adults only. Those age limits are easy to bypass, so the advice below still stands: know what your child is using and keep talking about it.
Parenting in 2026 means managing a digital world we never grew up with. Alongside YouTube and TikTok, a new wave of AI chatbots and companions is quietly becoming part of children’s online lives. Some kids use them for fun, others for advice, and some for comfort when they feel lonely. But what exactly are they, and should we be worried?
What Are AI Chatbots and Companions?
- AI Chatbots: Tools like ChatGPT or Snapchat My AI that answer questions and hold conversations.
- AI Companions: Apps designed to act like friends, offering personalised support, humour, or even daily check-ins.
Where Kids Are Finding Them
Most children encounter AI tools in apps they already use:- Snapchat: Offers My AI, which sits at the top of the chat list for many teens.
- Instagram and TikTok: Algorithm-driven content now pushes AI companion ads.
- Standalone Apps: Apps like Replika and Character.AI. Both now say they are for adults: Replika is 18+, and from late November 2025 Character.AI stopped allowing under-18s to have open-ended chats with its bots. Age limits like these are easy to bypass, though, so children may still find their way in.
How and Why Kids Are Using Them
- Information: Quick answers for homework or advice
- Companionship: Talking when they feel lonely or misunderstood
- Boredom Relief: Fun chats when no friends are online
- Exploration: Trying out different identities or asking questions they feel awkward asking adults
Potential Risks Parents Should Know
- Misinformation: AI tools can give inaccurate or biased answers
- Lack of Emotional Understanding: A bot can’t recognise real distress or danger
- Oversharing: Kids may share personal details without realising the risks
- Psychological Impact: Relying on AI for friendship may blur lines between real and artificial connection
Tips for Talking to Your Kids About AI Companions
Rather than banning outright — which often backfires — try these strategies:- Ask them what apps they’re using and why
- Explain the difference between real human support and AI conversation
- Set family tech boundaries (for example, no AI companion apps at night)
- Encourage safe curiosity: “It’s okay to explore, but let’s talk about what you find.”
- Offer alternatives for connection, like family chats, peer groups, or safe online communities
Affiliate Pick for Digital Wellbeing
- Blue-Light Blocking Glasses — reduce screen strain during homework and chats
The Gentle Takeaway
AI chatbots aren’t going anywhere, and banning them entirely may not work. The key is knowing what your child is using, keeping conversations open, and helping them understand that while AI can be fun, it can never replace the warmth, safety, and care of real human connection.Want More Digital Parenting Guides?
Join the Darling Mellow newsletter for gentle conversations about tech, wellbeing, and real-life parenting in a digital world.A Balanced Approach
The conversation about screen time has moved on from “screens are bad” to “what are they doing on screens and what are they not doing because of screens?” Watching a nature documentary together is fundamentally different from scrolling TikTok alone for three hours. Video calling a grandparent is different from playing a violent game. Context matters more than minutes.
More on kids, screens and phones
The questions worth asking are: is screen time replacing sleep? Is it replacing physical activity? Is it replacing face-to-face interaction? Is your child distressed when screens are removed? If the answer to all four is no, you’re probably doing fine. If any of those answers is yes, that’s the area to focus on — not the total number of hours.
For the full picture on UK screen time guidance, see our detailed UK Screen Time Guidance 2026 article. And for practical strategies that work without daily battles, our Boundary Toolkit includes specific scripts for screen time limits.
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