Majority of Americans support banning social media for kids under 16

A majority of U.S. adults now support banning children under 16 from using social media platforms, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in late May and early June 2026 [1]. The survey found that 56% of adults favor such a ban, while 21% oppose it and 23% are unsure [1]. The findings arrive as governments globally enact or debate similar restrictions. Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which prohibits minors under 16 from holding accounts on designated platforms, took effect on 10 December 2025 [2]. The law imposes monetary penalties on companies that fail to take reasonable steps to block underage users and currently applies to services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube [2]. Support for the ban in the United States cuts across demographic and partisan lines. Adults aged 30 to 49 are the most likely to favor it, at 63%, while 52% of those aged 18 to 29 support the measure [1]. Parents of a child under 18 are more supportive than those without minor children, at 65% versus 52% [1]. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents register 59% support, compared with 54% among Democrats and Democratic leaners [1]. Beyond an outright ban, the Pew survey tracked rising support for three other regulatory measures. In 2026, 85% of adults backed requiring parental consent for minors to create a social media account, up from 81% in 2023 [1]. Support for mandatory age verification before using social media sites rose to 78% from 71%, and backing for time limits on minors' social media use also climbed to 78% from 69% [1]. No more than one-in-ten adults opposed any of these three policies [1]. The U.S. debate unfolds amid a broader international push for online age verification. Australia's ban became a catalyst for similar legislative efforts after its passage on 28 November 2024, with countries including the United Kingdom and Canada considering or adopting minimum-age rules [3]. In the United States, state-level action began earlier, when Utah passed the Utah Social Media Regulation Act in March 2023, though that law has been challenged on First Amendment grounds and has not taken effect [3]. California lawmakers are now weighing comparable legislation [1]. Social media platforms have faced sustained criticism over their impact on young users, including exposure to inappropriate content, sleep problems, attention difficulties, and various mental health concerns [4]. The Pew survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults from May 26 to June 1, 2026 [1].