One in Two Americans (Especially Parents) Want to Ban Social Media for Under 16s

56% of American adults would support a ban on social media for minors under 16 years old. This is what emerges from a survey by the Pew Research Center conducted between May 26 and June 1, 2026, on a sample of 9,750 adults from the American Trends Panel, with a margin of error of ±1.4 percentage points.

21% of respondents oppose this measure, while 23% remain uncertain.

Support grows significantly among those with minor children: 65% of parents of under 18s are in favor of the ban, compared to 17% opposed. Among non-parents, support drops to 52%. The most interesting data concerns the political cross-section of the measure: 59% of Republican voters or those close to the party support it (19% opposed), and 54% of Democratic voters or those from the Democratic area (23% opposed), a rare convergence on a topic of technological regulation.

Demographic data tells a precise story as well: the highest support is recorded in the 30-49 age group (63%), followed by the 50-64 age group (57%); it drops to 52% among 18-29 year-olds and to 49% among those over 65, the only two groups below the absolute majority.

Beyond the Total Ban, Support Grows for More Targeted Measures

The outright ban is not the only measure that has seen increasing support since 2023. 85% of adults now support the requirement for parental consent for minors to open a social media account, compared to 81% three years ago. 78% are in favor of mandatory age verification on platforms (up from 71% in 2023), and the same share, 78%, supports the introduction of limits on the time minors can spend on social media (up from 69% in 2023). In none of these three measures do opponents exceed 10% of the sample.

Current policies of major platforms already set the minimum age to open an account at 13 years old, but the gap between this threshold and the 16 years indicated by the Pew survey fuels the debate on new rules. The issue is not isolated to the United States: Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom have set or are evaluating a minimum age of 16 for social media use, while in the U.S., California is moving in this direction with its proposal for legislation.