AI-Based Technology Use and Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Digital Risk Exposure and the Moderating Role of AI Literacy

This study examined whether artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology use was directly and indirectly associated with adolescents’ life satisfaction through exposure to digital risks, and whether these associations were moderated by AI literacy. Data were collected in 2025 within the Croatian Academic and Research Network (CARNET) project Application of Artificial Intelligence-Based Digital Technologies in Education —BrAIn, from 3,906 students attending elementary ( N = 1,986) and high schools ( N = 1,920). Students completed measures of AI-based technology use, digital risk exposure, AI literacy, and life satisfaction. The results showed that AI-based technology use was not consistently associated with life satisfaction directly, and that this association varied with AI literacy and educational level. More frequent AI-based technology use was associated with greater exposure to digital risks, which, in turn, was associated with lower life satisfaction. Among elementary school students, AI literacy moderated the negative association between digital risk exposure and life satisfaction, whereas among high school students, it moderated the association between AI-based technology use and digital risk exposure. The findings suggest that AI literacy may represent an important protective asset in AI-mediated environments.