Youth, AI, and Social Connection: Identity, Intimacy, and Mental Wellbeing in a Digital Age
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Psychology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue invites empirical and theoretical contributions that examine how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are reshaping social development, identity formation, and wellbeing among children and adolescents. As AI systems become embedded in educational, recreational, and therapeutic environments, they increasingly mediate how young people connect with peers, develop a sense of belonging, and navigate emotional and cognitive challenges.
We are particularly interested in work that draws on behavioural science approaches—including psychology, neurocognitive science, developmental science, and social neuroscience—that explore how AI-mediated interactions influence emotional regulation, relational development, identity construction, and mental health. Papers may include experimental, longitudinal, mixed-methods, and neuropsychological designs, as well as rigorous theoretical or review-based contributions.
This Special Issue will also encourage contributions from scholars working at the intersection of youth mental health, educational technology, and digital wellbeing—particularly in contexts where AI is used to support or simulate social connection, care, or learning. Contributions reflecting cross-cultural perspectives or focused on populations experiencing structural disadvantage are particularly welcome.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Adolescent identity development and emotional regulation in AI-mediated environments;
- Peer relationships and belonging in AI-curated social media and gaming spaces;
- The psychological and neurocognitive impacts of AI companions (e.g., chatbots, avatars, etc.);
- Parasocial relationships, affective attachment, and algorithmic intimacy;
- Generative AI and social creativity—implications for self-expression and social cognition;
- The role of AI in school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) and wellbeing interventions;
- Cross-cultural and developmental differences in youth–AI interaction patterns;
- Social neuroscience perspectives on AI and connection—trust, empathy, and mirroring;
- Risk behaviours, loneliness, and emotional dysregulation in algorithmic contexts;
- The ethics of care, autonomy, and vulnerability in AI use by youth.
Dr. Catherine Smith
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- social development
- identity formation
- well-being
- artificial intelligence
- emotional regulation
- mental health
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