Why Kids Turn to AI Companions

How do we raise emotionally healthy kids in a world where AI companions, chatbots, and digital identities show up earlier than ever?

In this episode of Promptly Speaking, Sara and Dan sit down with Sara Filipčić, a researcher, founder of Be Human(e), and expert in childhood social–emotional development. Her work spans the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, EdTech innovation, and early field research in Japan on human–robot dynamics.

Together, they explore how technology is reshaping childhood, how AI companions are influencing the way kids build relationships, and what parents can do to create safer, more resilient, and more connected homes.

💡 You’ll learn:

- Why connection offline builds resilience online

- Why fear-based parenting and strict restriction tend to backfire

- How to gradually and intentionally introduce technology at every developmental stage

- How to co-view and co-play apps and games with your child

- What digital citizenship actually means — and why it matters

- How loneliness fuels reliance on AI companions

- Red flags to watch for when kids (or adults) turn to chatbots for emotional validation

- How cultures like Japan are approaching human–machine relationships differently

- The crucial role of psychological safety and open communication

- How parents can rebuild trust after digital missteps

🧠 Whether you’re excited about AI or terrified of it, this episode offers a grounded, research-informed roadmap for parenting in a tech-saturated world.

⏱ Timestamps:

00:19 – Meet Sara Filipčić

00:59 – Childhood development, cyberbullying, and tech’s impact

01:53 – Teaching emotional intelligence human-to-human and human-to-machine

02:47 – From Croatia to the U.S.

03:03 – Building Humane & the mission of healthy human–machine relationships

04:00 – Why fear-based parenting backfires

05:08 – The dangers of restriction without conversation

07:47 – How to gradually introduce tech in age-appropriate ways

13:21 – AI companions: what parents need to know

18:45 – Loneliness, identity, and anthropomorphism

23:01 – Modeling healthy tech behavior as adults

27:34 – Co-viewing, co-playing, and why it matters

32:47 – Teaching kids to question online content

33:34 – Parental guilt, self-forgiveness, and rebuilding trust

34:05 – Digital citizenship explained (privacy, safety, digital footprints)

36:40 – What Japan can teach us about human–machine symbiosis

41:54 – The future of AI companions and realistic robotics

43:20 – Why self-awareness is the most important skill kids need

47:55 – Final advice for parents

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

Find Sara Filipčić:

- Substack: www.substack.com/@humanerobot25

- Instagram: www.instagram.com/filipcic.sara/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/filipcicsara/

- Website: https://behumane.ai/

Parenting & Tech Resources:

- Common Sense Media: age ratings + app guidance (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/)

- Gingko: developmental-stage-aware AI with human therapist loop (https://www.gingko.ai/)

- Little Otter: teletherapy platform built by mother & daughter duo (https://www.littleotterhealth.com/)

⚠️ Safety Note:

This episode references suicide, predators, and mental health challenges. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the U.S. for free, confidential support.

Follow Sara & Dan:

Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/

Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroberts27/

Email: hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com