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Research: 1 in 3 Kids Use AI for Learning

In a survey of parents with children aged 8 or younger, nearly a third of respondents (29%) said their child has used AI for school-related learning, according to a new report from Common Sense Media. The nonprofit, focused on digital media ratings and research, polled 1,578 parents to find out how children are engaging with media and technology.

Among parents who said their child has used AI tools, 23% said the impact of AI on their child's understanding of school-related material was mostly positive. Fifty-five percent said AI had no impact at all; 16% reported both positive and negative impacts; and 5% called the impact mostly negative.

Other findings from the survey include:

  • Children aged 8 and younger spend about two-and-a-half hours a day with screen media. Sixty percent of that time is spent on TV/video viewing; 26% on gaming. Just 1% of screen time is spent on homework.
  • Gaming time has increased by 65% since 2020, while TV/video viewing has fallen by 18%. Within that TV/video category, short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are on the rise.
  • By age 2, 40% of children have their own tablet. By age 4, that number goes up to 58%.
  • By age 8, one in four children have their own cell phone.
  • Roughly one in five children use devices for comfort, meal times, or to fall asleep.

"Our youngest children are on the front lines of an unprecedented digital transformation," said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, in a statement. "From AI to immersive gaming, they're experiencing technologies that didn't exist even a few years ago. It's a lot to manage as a new parent, which is why we're focused on giving families and educators the tools they need to harness the benefits of innovation while building healthy digital habits from the start."

The full report, "The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight," is available on the Common Sense Media site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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