10/17/2026
One in five middle schoolers say they’re turning to AI chatbots for emotional companionship. Scouting offers something a chatbot can’t.
A new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study of more than 2,300 students in grades six through eight found that as many as one in five used AI tools for emotionally intimate companionship, and those students were more likely to report higher levels of loneliness later on. Researcher Mitch Prinstein says two to four kids in every classroom now prefer chatbot interaction over a human peer, calling it “a pretty existential concern for this generation.”
The stakes go beyond the moment. Prinstein points to research showing that peer experiences at this age predict outcomes well into adulthood, from career advancement to marital satisfaction to health. When kids replace human relationships with chatbots, they miss critical chances to build the interpersonal skills they’ll need for life.
This is where Scouting makes a difference. In a Scout troop or pack, young people don’t just talk about connection. They live it. They pitch tents together, cook over a campfire, solve problems as a patrol, lead their peers, and rely on one another when the weather turns. They learn to disagree, encourage, listen, and show up. Those face-to-face experiences build real friendships, confidence, and character, and no screen can replicate them.
Those of us who have been in Scouting for a while know this firsthand. Many of us can name the friends, leaders, and mentors from our Scouting years who shaped who we became. Today’s kids need those relationships more than ever.
Here’s how you can help - Share your Scouting story with a young person in your life. Encourage a family to visit a local pack or troop. Volunteer, mentor, or support a unit in your community.
The best answer to a lonely, screen-filled childhood is a place where kids belong, and Scouting has been that place for generations. Let’s make sure more kids know it’s there.
Learn more using the link in the comments.
