Key stat: 63% of adults ages 30-49 support a ban on under-16s using social media, the highest of any age group and more than triple the 19% who oppose it, according to a June survey from Pew Research Center.

Beyond the chart:

• The sentiment crosses borders, not just age brackets. In Canada, 70% of adults support banning social media access for children under 16, with 41% strongly supporting it, according to Leger.
• Passing a ban and enforcing one are different problems. Roughly 70% of banned Australian teenagers still had platform access months after that country's under-16 lockout took effect, using VPNs and adult credentials to slip past automated age gates.

Use this chart: Drop this in your youth-marketing risk review. Show it to leadership when defending or defunding teen-facing placements, since support crosses every age bracket. Use it in planning meetings to argue for contextual and creator buys before age gates force the shift.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Gen Alpha's Social Media Usage 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Social Media Legislation and Regulation 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the July 2026 Pew Research Center report titled "Majority of Americans Support Banning Social Media for Kids Under 16." 9,750 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed during May 26-June 1, 2026 for Wave 194 of the American Trends Panel (ATP). The survey was conducted online (n=9,464) and via telephone (n=286). The margin of error for the full sample is +/-1.4 percentage points.