Relational Artificial Intelligence as a Developmental Exposure in Adolescence: A Precautionary Perspectives and Controversies Article

Adolescent mental health is increasingly recognised as a defining public-health challenge of the digital era. One in seven young people aged 10–19 years lives with a diagnosable mental-health condition, reflecting a substantial and growing burden of disease during adolescence.1,2 Parallel increases in digital media exposure have prompted renewed scrutiny of how emerging technologies shape developmental environments. Over the past decade, social media shifted from a communication tool to a potential public-health exposure, with ongoing debate regarding its association with adolescent wellbeing.