Study links heavy dependence on ChatGPT with increased self-doubt and social isolation

A new study on ChatGPT dependence, published in Applied Cognitive Psychology, provides an early look at how frequent use of AI tools shapes the way young people think, learn and relate to others. Researcher Zeineb Farhat of ISC Paris interviewed 45 daily ChatGPT users aged 18 to 25 in France, asking how the tool influenced their study habits, work and emotional lives. The findings suggest a pattern called cognitive offloading, in which people lean on external tools to avoid holding information in their own minds.

Many participants described a decline in independent thinking after becoming accustomed to instant answers. They reported shorter attention spans, weaker recall of information and a growing tendency to doubt their own judgment on everyday decisions. Some described genuine distress when the platform was temporarily unavailable. The research also found that heavy users increasingly prioritized conversations with the chatbot over interactions with friends, teachers or colleagues, which in some cases fostered a sense of social isolation.

Not every outcome was negative, however. Participants who used ChatGPT selectively, treating it as a brainstorming partner rather than a substitute for their own reasoning, reported greater confidence and creativity. Since the sample is small and specific to one country and age group, the authors caution that the results cannot be generalized, and call for larger, longer-term studies.