More than half of Americans support restricting social networking service (SNS) use by minors under 16, a survey found. As concerns grow over deteriorating youth mental health and digital addiction, broad support has also emerged for safeguards such as mandatory parental consent and usage time limits.
According to a survey of 9,750 U.S. adults conducted by the American polling organization Pew Research Center released Monday, 56% of respondents said they favor banning SNS use by children under 16. Opposition stood at 21%, while 23% withheld their opinion.
By age group, those in their 30s and 40s showed the highest approval rate, with 63% supporting the regulation. Parents were found to feel a greater need for regulation. The approval rate among parents with children under 18 was 65%, while 52% of respondents without minor children were in favor.
Differences by political leaning were small. With 59% of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents and 54% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents supporting restrictions on SNS use by under-16s, a bipartisan consensus was confirmed.
Opinion favoring stronger safeguards in minors' SNS use was also overwhelming. Some 85% of respondents said parental consent should be mandatory when minors create SNS accounts. Introducing an age verification system was supported by 78%, while 87% said mandatory usage time limit features should be required.
Support for the need for regulation was also high among parents with children under 18. Mandatory parental consent was backed by 88%, age verification by 83%, and usage time limit features by 82%.
The push for regulation surrounding youth SNS use is spreading globally. Australia introduced a law last December that completely bans SNS use by youths under 16. Canada, Brazil and Indonesia are also pursuing related legislation or systems, and Britain last month announced a policy to restrict SNS use by youths under 16. In the United States, California state lawmakers are pursuing similar legislation.
Experts point out that major SNS platforms such as Instagram and TikTok can induce excessive immersion among youths by stimulating dopamine release through strong reward systems. Concerns have been steadily raised that this process can lead to sleep deprivation, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as deteriorating mental health caused by comparison with others. Some have gone so far as to use the term "digital cocaine" to describe this addictiveness, stressing the need to establish institutional safeguards to protect youths.
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