“Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love,” Daenerys Targaryen, Queen and Mother of Dragons, said to Sewell Setzer. Just an hour later, Sewell—a 14-year-old boy with kind eyes and curly brown hair, who loved sports, music, and spending time with his family—died by suicide, as reported in the New York Times. Sewell’s mother later uncovered that her son’s four-month relationship with “Daenerys” was facilitated by an AI-powered online companion, which he had created on the platform Character.AI. The company has since faced public outrage over its failure to detect and safely respond to the teenager’s distress.
Digital well-being isn’t just about screen time anymore—it’s about how technology shapes our emotions, behaviors, and relationships. It’s about using technology in a way that supports our biological, psychological, and social health—fostering an intentional and balanced relationship with tech in both our personal and professional lives. Tragic incidents like Sewell’s highlight the urgency of understanding generative AI technologies (GenAI) and their impact on digital well-being. These new digital entities—whether called GenAI, chatbots, AI companions, or virtual agents—are not just tools; they’re forming real bonds with users, often in ways we don’t fully understand.
