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The latest �����������ϳԹ� National Poll finds broad support for protecting children from the potential harms of social media, but no consensus on the best ways to protect them from mass shootings at school. The poll of 1,005 U.S. adults conducted by Selzer & Company March 11–17, 2024, found that 55% of Americans favor banning children under 16 from using social media platforms, with the proportion rising to 65% among those with children under 18 years old at home. More than half (52%) favor allowing parents to sue social media platforms for content that harmed their children, and 57% favor banning students’ smartphones in schools.

Karla Erickson, professor of sociology at �����������ϳԹ�, says that so-called “techlash” against the power of social media platforms has been a topic of conversation among sociologists, but researchers have seen few people willing to change their individual behaviors.

“It’s striking that there is majority support for all three of these proposals, and this helps to explain why legislation to ban TikTok passed the House of Representatives so easily. Bipartisan support for suing tech companies for harm to kids is especially notable, given that Democrats and Republicans usually feel differently about corporate responsibility,” says Erickson.

“It is especially surprising that more than half of Americans support banning smartphones from schools – a measure that would inconvenience many parents on a daily basis. What isn’t surprising is that these measures are much less favored by Americans under 35, most of whom grew up with smartphones.”

By contrast, the poll found no consensus on policies aimed at reducing the number of students killed in school shootings.

Respondents were asked if any of five proposed policies would be effective in reducing the number of students killed in school shootings: hiring armed guards, arming teachers, raising the age to purchase firearms to 21, banning assault rifles or criminally charging parents of school shooters for negligence. None of the policies was rated by a majority of respondents as likely to be “very effective” in reducing the number of student deaths.

“As a society, we can’t reach agreement on what we should do to keep our kids safe from mass shootings in schools. Democrats are skeptical that arming school staff will protect kids, and Republicans don’t think that restricting firearms will make a difference,” said Peter Hanson, poll director and associate professor of political science at �����������ϳԹ�. “If any issue should unite Americans, it is protecting kids from gun violence in schools, but the politics of gun safety continue to be extraordinarily difficult to resolve.”

Sixty percent of Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters vs. 29% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters think hiring armed guards would be very effective. That sentiment is reversed when considering the effectiveness of banning sales of assault rifles (with 65% of Democrats vs. 16% of Republicans saying it would be very effective).

Biden Trails Trump and Loses Ground in Key Demographics

President Joe Biden is trailing former President Donald Trump in the race for president, with Biden’s job approval and favorability ratings falling to the lowest levels measured by the poll while Trump’s ratings have improved.

If the race were held today, Trump would be the favorite of 45% of likely voters, in contrast to just 38% saying they would vote for Biden. Trump leads among likely voters who identify as independent, with 43% for Trump and 27% for Biden – but 23% of this group say they would vote for someone else.