Gen Z Americans Say Social Media has had a Negative Effect on Young People

A national survey of 2,014 U.S. adults finds Americans across generations share concern for the impact social media has on young people and there is bipartisan support for increased regulation on social media and smartphone usage for teenagers in the United States..

May 8, 2024 – A new report by More in Common explores Americans’ views on social media, smartphone usage, and whether they believe regulations need to be in place to restrict usage for children.  

We find bipartisan support for more regulation, including 68% of Republicans and 68% of Democrats who support banning social media companies from opening accounts for children under 15. Americans are generally split about whether the US government should force the sale of TikTok, however, Gen Z is the only generation to have more opposition than support for this policy.

Additionally, we find that Gen Z Americans are generally concerned about the effects of social media.

• 3 in 5 (60%) say they spend too much time on their phone, versus US average of 50% 
• Half (50%) say social media has had a negative effect on young people, versus US average of 58%   
• Gen Z is generally split on supporting banning smartphones during the school day, with 1 in 3 (32%) supporting a total ban 

We also asked the same set of questions to adults in the UK, France, and Germany. This comparative study provides insights into how views compare with countries that are also debating the extent limitations should be placed on social media and smartphone usage. We found that while Americans generally show support for social media regulation, Americans are less likely than people living in UK, France, and Germany to believe the government is not doing enough to regulate social media platforms. 

“Americans have a complicated relationship with their phones and social media, but they largely agree that we should do more to protect kids” said More in Common Senior Advisor Daniel Yudkin, PhD, who led the US study. 

The full report is available here. 

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About More in Common US
More in Common US is a non-partisan research and civic nonprofit that works to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and bring people together to address our shared challenges.