Most adults support limiting teens' social media use
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted September 16 to 21, 2026, 76.1% favor blocking Facebook and Instagram between midnight and 6 a.m. for users under 18. A default two-hour daily limit draws 72.2% support.
Respondents first read a description of an agreement between Meta and state attorneys general. These findings describe reactions to that survey premise; the agreement described has not been independently verified for this article.
Overnight and daily limits draw support
Overnight blocking draws 52.1% strong support and 24.0% somewhat favorable responses. A default two-hour daily limit draws 42.0% strong support and 30.1% somewhat favorable responses.
The restrictions described apply to users under 18. These are the views of adults, including adults without teenage children.
Topline
76.1% strongly or somewhat favor overnight limits for teens on Facebook and Instagram, after hearing the agreement described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Topline
72.2% strongly or somewhat favor a default daily two-hour limit for teens on Facebook and Instagram, after hearing the agreement described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Support extends to feeds, likes and filters
Hiding like counts on posts by teens draws 69.7% support. Offering a feed without algorithmic personalization draws 73.3%, and banning filters that alter a user’s face draws 72.2%.
Each change is assessed separately. Support for one measure does not establish that the same respondents support every measure in the package.
Topline
69.7% strongly or somewhat favor hiding like counts on posts by teens, after hearing the agreement described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Topline
73.3% strongly or somewhat favor giving teens a social feed without algorithmic personalization, after hearing the agreement described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Topline
72.2% strongly or somewhat favor banning face-altering filters for teens, after hearing the agreement described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Other platforms face similar expectations
Some 67.1% say TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube should be required to make the same changes for users under 18. Another 20.8% say they should be encouraged, but not required.
Expectations for improved safety are more reserved: 54.5% expect the agreement described in the survey to make little or no difference. Another 31.5% expect some difference and 7.6% a great deal.
Topline
67.1% say TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube should be required to make the same changes for users under 18 described to respondents.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Topline
54.5% expect the Meta agreement described to respondents to make not much difference or none at all to teen safety on Facebook and Instagram.
n = 1,500 · Sep 16–21, 2026 · MoE ±2.6%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 16–21, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,500 |
| Margin of error | ±2.6% |
| Module | Current Events Survey #2026-243 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report
- Blocking the apps between midnight and 6 a.m.
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report
How much difference, if any, do you think this will make to the safety of teenagers using these apps?
- reports.verasight.io/r/2026-243-current-events-report
Do you think other social media companies — like TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube — should have to make these same changes for their users under 18?
Cite this topic
September Verasight National Survey: Current Events and Prediction Markets, fielded September 16-21, 2026, N=1,500 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.6%.