r/technology • u/WorldTravelerBoss • Jul 15 '26

Artificial Intelligence The terrifying rise of schoolboys making AI girlfriends. Boys as young as 12 are now in romantic ‘relationships’ with chatbots, and it’s affecting how they treat girls in the real world.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/25/schoolboys-ai-girlfriends/
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u/sweats-aficionado Jul 15 '26

This isn't just boys. Been battling this to an extent with my daughters.

394

u/harswv Jul 15 '26

My good friends’ daughter was doing this at age 17. Her parents found out and tried to intervene. She figured out how to get access to the screens no matter what they did. When they removed all screens from the house she stole a laptop from her school and got expelled. She left home the day she turned 18, much to her younger siblings’ relief because her personality totally changed and she became super mean to them. She was an awesome kid when she was 14, 15, 16 - so sad to see how this addiction flipped her life trajectory.

139

u/gurgelhupf Jul 15 '26

This is the kind of situation where you are always the bad guy. The only thing that would work is sending her away to the distant relative with a farm where she has no screen for miles. She has to work every day and will hate it, but then she befriends the untameable stallion and wins the big show that saves the farm.

24

u/talspr Jul 15 '26

I'd watch that movie

4

u/gurgelhupf Jul 15 '26

Go watch Ostwind :D

1

u/Tuomas90 Jul 15 '26

Oh no! It's german. :-(

Deutsche Filme sind so schlecht. Da muss ich bei Heartland bleiben.

2

u/gurgelhupf Jul 15 '26

Nee Ostwind ist wirklich toll. Man muss den Cringe ein bisschen zulassen und dann sind die Filme wirklich unterhaltsam.

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u/ChuckCarmichael Jul 15 '26

But one of the characters is called Fanny, which I'm sure will attract some British viewers.

1

u/Tuomas90 Jul 15 '26

Probably not available in your country, but:

There you go.