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Young Kids’ Screen Time Now Includes AI Chatbots, Parents Say

In a broad look at how children ages 5 to 12 are interacting with technology, 42% of parents said they could be doing better.

How old do you have to be to start using an AI chatbot? In some families, children as young as kindergarten age are already engaging with the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini.

That’s according to a new survey from Pew Research, which reports that 3% of parents who responded said that their children ages 5 to 7 had ever used a chatbot. That jumps to 7% for parents with children between 8 and 10 years old and to 15% for those between 11 and 12.

About 40% of parents said their 12-or-under children used voice assistants like Alexa and Siri.

The findings come out of a survey of more than 3,000 US parents that looked broadly at how they’re managing screen time for their children. While the AI chatbot usage averaged out to about 8%, or nearly 1 in 10 children, there were far higher numbers for screen use in that age group, including 90% for television, 68% for tablets and 61% for smartphones. 

Many parents find keeping up a challenge, with 42% saying they could better manage their kids’ screen time and 58% saying they’re doing the best they can.


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The use of artificial intelligence by children and teens has stirred unease for many people. In August, OpenAI added parental controls to ChatGPT after a family sued the company, alleging the chatbot had been a factor in the suicide of their 16-year-old son. Some states have also issued warnings to AI companies about technology that may be harmful to children.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)  

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Starlink Extends ‘Free’ Hurricane Relief Internet to the End of the Year

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Technologies

Get Ready for A Minecraft Movie 2: A Sequel Film Is in the Works

Fans and chicken jockeys alike will have to wait until 2027 to return to the world of the popular game.

Stay in practice, chicken jockeys. Warner Bros. has greenlit a sequel to A Minecraft Movie, according to Variety. The follow-up to the hit live-action video game adaptation will premiere in theaters on July 23, 2027.


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Plot details and casting are still unknown. The X account for Minecraft teased the news with a poster and the caption «building terrain.» The director of the first Minecraft movie, Jared Hess, will direct and co-write the screenplay for Minecraft 2 with Chris Galletta, according to Variety.

The first Minecraft film debuted in theaters in March and started streaming on HBO Max, then called Max, in June. A Minecraft Movie grossed $957 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo. Block Party screenings, where fans were encouraged to shout out popular lines, were held after certain scenes from the film — including one featuring a Chicken Jockey — went viral.

The story follows protagonists who end up in a world different from their own that thrives on imagination. The movie’s star-studded cast includes Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Hansen and Jennifer Coolidge. 

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Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 10 #586

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 10, No. 586.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might make you hungry. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: I’m a ladle hungry

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Spoon it up

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • RATE, GOUT, TOUT, LONE, WETS, GATE, PLANE, MINE, GAMINE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • STEW, CHILI, GUMBO, RAGOUT, TAGINE, GOULASH, JAMBALAYA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is  ONEPOT. Find it by locating the O that’s three letters down on the far-left row, and winding across.

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