With Children’s Day approaching, it is timely to consider the digital environment in which children are growing up and the role of increasingly popular AI chatbots and social-media selfies. ESET cybersecurity experts say the technology brings benefits but also poses serious risks to young people’s emotional, mental and digital safety.
What problems are emerging?
ESET and Sicontact Kft.'s cybersecurity expert Csizmazia-Darab István points out that children often treat chatbot interactions as human confidences. Incidents reported in Hungarian and international media highlight that excessive attachment to chatbots or interactions without proper human oversight can steer vulnerable users into dangerous situations.
Csizmazia-Darab István warns: “Children often do not perceive the consequences of a conversation with an AI chatbot or the sharing of an apparently harmless selfie. In both cases personal information can leave their control and later be used for abuse.” He added that chatbots frequently reinforce users’ beliefs with their responses, which can distort reality perception and amplify existing difficulties.
Selfies shared on social media also carry long-term privacy and security risks: images can persist online even after deletion and may contain details (for example, signs of the home environment or school) that enable misuse if they fall into the wrong hands.
Real risks in everyday life
According to ESET experts, chatbots and social-media use can create risks in several concrete areas:
- Mental health: children may form excessive attachments to chatbots, which can displace real human relationships that are crucial to mental balance.
- Misinformation: AI can confidently provide incorrect answers (so-called “hallucinations”) that young people might accept as fact.
- Inappropriate content: despite safety mechanisms, violent or harmful content can still appear.
- Privacy: personal information shared with chatbots may be stored and could reach unauthorized parties.
Warning signs include a child spending more time with chatbots than friends, speaking about an AI as if it were a real person, feeling anxious when access is blocked, or repeating obvious errors as facts. It is also concerning if children seek advice from chatbots on sensitive topics, including mental health issues.
What can parents do?
Experts recommend education and open, supportive communication rather than outright bans. Csizmazia-Darab István says the goal is not to cut children off from technology but to teach them safe use through conversation, shared rules and development of critical thinking.
Practical advice from the expert:
- Explain that AI systems are algorithms, not real people, and cannot experience genuine emotions or make responsible decisions.
- Teach children to treat chatbot responses critically and to verify the credibility and source of information.
- Never share sensitive personal data with chatbots or on public profiles.
- Set reasonable limits on screen time and chatbot use; use parental controls when necessary.
Conclusion
AI chatbots and social media together shape children’s digital footprint from an early age. While the technology can support learning and information gathering, it cannot replace human relationships. Experts advise parents to talk openly with their children, set shared rules, and help them develop critical thinking to ensure safer use of digital tools.
