Amid growing concerns about the impact screens and social media sites are having on young users, more than half of Americans support banning children under the age of 16 from using social media, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Released Wednesday, the survey suggests that 56% of U.S. adults favor prohibiting social media use for children under 16, while 21% oppose such restrictions. Some 23% was unsure.
Support was especially high among parents of minors, with 65% saying that they favor a ban.
The findings come amid a broader national debate about how to protect children online while balancing concerns about privacy, free speech and access to information.
Alyza Lewin, president of U.S. operations at the Combat Antisemitism Movement, told JNS that social media is not the sole driver of rising Jew-hatred, but it has dramatically accelerated the spread of hateful content.
“In the old days, before you had social media and the internet, antisemites had to work to get their message out,” Lewin said. “Now, at the click of a button, it gets pushed out to millions and millions.”
Lewin told JNS that social media algorithms can recommend antisemitic content even to users who are not searching for information about Jews or the Middle East, making children particularly vulnerable to hateful messaging.
“Children have no way of being able to distinguish between hateful, indoctrinating messaging that’s being sent to them and what is objective educational material,” she said.
Lawmakers and technology companies have faced increasing pressure to address issues including cyberbullying, harmful content and the spread of misinformation on social media platforms.
Bethany Mandel, co-host of the Mom Wars podcast and a conservative columnist who writes about parenting, told JNS that she is not surprised by the survey findings, which suggest that more Americans are recognizing the effects social media can have on children’s well-being.
“I think people are increasingly seeing the negative effects of social media on any host of metrics that we use to measure well-being, whether it be mental health or socialization,” she said.
For Jewish organizations focused on combating antisemitism, the conversation also highlights concerns about the spread of hate speech and extremist content online, particularly among younger users.
The Anti-Defamation League has documented widespread online harassment and found that 56% of Americans have experienced online hate or harassment in their lifetimes.
Among Jewish adults who experienced online harassment, 34% said they were targeted because of their religion in the previous year.
Supporters of restrictions argue that limiting social media access for younger users could reduce exposure to harmful material and protect children from online abuse.
Mandel compared potential restrictions on social media to existing age limits on activities, such as smoking and drinking.
“Kids don’t have the same rights that adults have in so many ways,” she told JNS. “It’s our responsibility as adults, and I think unfortunately there’s a lot of parents out there who refuse to parent.”
Mandel added that parents should take a more active role in monitoring their children’s internet use and maintaining open conversations about what they encounter online.
Lewin told JNS that it is important to teach young people “to think critically about what they’re consuming on social media, to ask questions and to not just accept everything at face value.”
Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs, told JNS that “there has been a dramatic rise in antisemitism targeting Jewish and pro-Israel students online, including organized campaigns to harass, ostracize and demonize them.”
Misinformation about Israel spreads rapidly on social media, making it increasingly important to educate students to recognize and respond to online hate, she said.
