Most Americans don't want youths under 16 on social media platforms

www.offthepress.com

The vast majority of Americans back banning social media for children under the age of 16, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.

Almost 6 in 10 U.S. adults support a social media ban for children under 16 years old, the survey suggests. Meanwhile, roughly one-in-five respondents oppose such a ban and about a quarter said they were unsure, per the poll.

The survey also found that 85% of Americans voiced support for social media companies requiring parental consent for minors to create an account, marking an increase from 81% in 2023. Moreover, 78% would back requiring age verification before using these platforms, up from 71%.

Of those surveyed, 78% of adults said they support imposing limits on how much time minors are allowed to spend on social media platforms, compared to 69% in 2023.

Up to 95% of youths ages 13 to 17 use social media, with over one third reporting that they use it “almost constantly,” according to an Office of the Surgeon General report published in the National Library of Medicine. From July 2021 to December 2023, 50.4% of U.S. teenagers ages 12 to 17 had 4 hours or more of screen time per day, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

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