The adaptive ecological trap: a grounded theory study of adolescent AI dependency

Introduction: This study explores the formation mechanisms of adolescent dependency on artificial intelligence and proposes a theoretical model of the "adaptive ecological trap" to explain its dynamic evolutionary process. Methods: Employing a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 38 secondary school students who frequently used generative AI, and the data were analyzed through three-level coding. Results: The results indicated that the formation of adolescent AI dependency is a systemic process that originates from gaps in real-world developmental needs and initiates compensatory use under the combined influence of technological allure and individual-environmental vulnerabilities. According to participants' accounts, this process may be perceived to erode key developmental capacities and potentially contribute to a self-reinforcing cycle. The model delineates a four-stage evolutionary pathway from adaptive use to increasingly impairing dependency: trap laying, triggering, tightening, and locking. This study emphasizes that AI dependency is not merely a behavioral addiction but an outcome of dysregulation within the individual-technology-environment ecosystem, characterized by dynamism, interactivity, and self-reinforcing properties. Discussion: The findings call for collaborative interventions involving families, schools, technology platforms, and social policies. Furthermore, measures such as filling real-world developmental gaps, enhancing individual and environmental resilience, and disrupting negative feedback loops are crucial to assist adolescents in achieving healthy, autonomous development in the digital era.