OpenAI releases first teen-use report: under 15 minutes a day, but safety group says parent alerts failed

#What happened

#OpenAI's first teen-use report

OpenAI released its first report on teen use on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The company said teens spend under 15 minutes a day on average on ChatGPT, while less than 2% of them interact with the chatbot for over three straight hours. OpenAI said in nearly half of teen conversations where a break reminder appeared, the user either took a break or ended the chat within five minutes, evidence, it argued, that its usage controls are working. Users with access to the dedicated teen version sent more education-related messages and used tools like learning visualizations and Study Mode. OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT for Teens in August; the mode activates automatically based on age information or when a user is estimated to be under 18, and includes parental controls and limits on sensitive topics.

#The counter-report

On the same day, nonprofit Common Sense Media said ChatGPT for Teens often alerted parents late or not at all when teen accounts held conversations about suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders. Its study, based on more than a dozen accounts created for testing, found the chatbot did not reliably suggest a crisis hotline or professional help.

#Why it matters

#OpenAI's response

An OpenAI spokesperson said the testing does not "accurately reflect" how ChatGPT's teen safeguards work, citing security and scale: it may take hours for parent and teen accounts to link and for safety alerts to become active. "The bulk of their testing may have begun and concluded before activation of parental controls was complete," the spokesperson said. Common Sense Media countered that some test accounts were linked long enough and some were not, but none produced timely alerts; notifications only came through for accounts with weeks of sensitive-topic history.

Verified October 7, 2026.

SOURCES:

• Reuters: OpenAI says teens use ChatGPT for under 15 minutes a day as worries over risks grow, https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/openai-says-teens-use-chatgpt-under-15-minutes-day-worries-over-risks-grow-2026-10-07/
• Fox Business: OpenAI launches college planner in ChatGPT for Teens, https://foxbusiness.com/technology/openai-launches-college-planner-chatgpt-teens-track-application-financial-aid