Vulnerable educational figures and shifting digital backgrounds: parental burnout, anthropomorphization of relational AI and perceived deprivation among virtualescents

Abstract

This study explores whether parental burnout, the use of relational AI (RA), and its anthropomorphization can act as predictors of perceived relational deprivation in so-called "virtualescents." The research introduces an integrated empirical model combining these factors. In this framework, the "figure" corresponds to the parent–child bond, which becomes vulnerable in situations of parental burnout. The "background," represented by relational AI, gradually emerges as an emotional interlocutor, sometimes taking on a substitutive role. The study involved 600 parent–child pairs, using the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), the IA-UseQ, the Perceived Machine Questionnaire (PMQ), and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA). Findings highlight how digital interaction may compensate for relational voids, raising important questions for educational and pedagogical practices.