Study: Gen Z Voters Oppose Social Media Limits

American teens are generally against the idea of regulations that would place restrictions on their use of social media platforms, despite knowing the potential harms to mental and physical health, according to Bloomberg citing a poll of 430 first-time voters.

A study designed by the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab found that more than 60% of new voters oppose requiring kids under age 16 to seek parental consent to use social media. More than 85% of young people think there should be no time limits on when they can receive social media notifications, such as at night or during school hours.

Members of Generation Z — young people between the ages of 12 and 27 — are some of the most active users on social media services like Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram, ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok and Snap Inc.’s Snapchat. Parents, lawmakers, regulators and child safety advocates have spent years pushing for rules they say will ease the risks posed by heavy use of these services. But those just reaching voting age are starting to have more influence over who represents them, and the policies that they advance — including a crackdown on social media use.

Since the 2022 midterms, about 8 million members of Gen Z have joined the electorate, a demographic shift that is “unprecedented,” said Henry Elkus, founder and chief executive officer of Helena, a nonprofit group that helped support the study. By 2028, this voting cohort will make up nearly 25% of the electorate, meaning their voices on social and political issues could have a real impact on election outcomes.