A living library of quotes we heard directly from young people about their experiences with technology. Logged from the field, preserved for the record.

"I've been referring to moments like this as the 'oracle' treatment. What if the crush doesn't know what the song really means?"

Beck Tench, CDT

"...and what if instead of listening to the song, she just asks this question to AI. Losing the experience to decide for herself how a song feels... losing the neuropathways laid down associated with music and that time in her life... losing music."

Beck Tench, CDT

"Hearing this I felt like: oh, of course they are asking AI to interpret flirting and ambiguous texts. Reminds me of another interview where a teen was going back and forth with ChatGPT about recommendations for a gift that would match the energy of a guy who brought her flowers"

Emily Weinstein, Nearfield

“I asked [AI] if this guy likes me because of the music that he was sending me... like J. Cole songs and stuff... I was like, if he sends me this J. Cole song, what does it mean? [AI answered] ‘Cole is known for being thoughtful and down to earth, so it's probably someone who thinks that you can handle a little bit of substance.’"

Teen Interviewee | Age 19 | High School Graduate | Girl | Indigenous American or Alaska Native & White

Citation: Nearfield. (2026, April). Spring 2026 Gen AI and social media listening loop [Collection of participant quotes]. Nearfield Listening Library. https://www.thenearfield.org/quotes/j-cole

teen quotes & more

"Probably prom... and also, on a deeper level, I guess kind of the state of the world"

Well-being
Other Digital

"He [teacher] told us that he didn't see the value in grading our work because we're a lower-level class."

School
Relationships
AI

"He [teacher] was having ChatGPT read them. And it just felt kind of unfair."

School
Relationships
AI

"...where can I get a third opinion, a second opinion, where it'll probably hopefully be objective?"

Relationships
AI

"...talk to the objects in your house. And you can either romance them, become friends, or they end up hating you."

Fun
Relationships
AI

"[I get] a lot of ads, like every 3 to 4 scrolls is some sort of ad..."

Other
Social Media

"In instructions [professors] put in white letters... include the word, ‘banana’ somewhere"

School
AI

"[I check PowerSchool] probably at least like 5 to 10 times a day."

School
Other Digital

“I don't want it [AI] to think for me."

School
AI

"I should start saying thank you [to AI] more..."

Well-being
AI

"We essentially had to defend our paper [one by one]... it was like an execution"

School
AI

"I usually struggle with math."

School
AI

"I asked [AI] if this guy likes me because of the music that he was sending me"

Relationships
AI

"But now everything’s just, can I trust this source?"

Well-being
Social Media

"I need a 90. I'll just like go through Gauth the whole way through kind of situation."

School
AI

‍"..It's really kind of, it is creepy to me how technology is able to so quickly mimic the like a real person..."

Relationships
Identity
AI

Memos

Every memo starts with listening closely to young people.

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8 Apps I Didn’t Even Know To Ask Teens About

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An AI Policy Isn't a Playbook

This collaborative report with Center for Digital Thriving examines how generative AI is reshaping relationships in classrooms. It draws on a nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 US public school teachers and principals, plus interviews with educators and 31 young people.
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