Americans do not agree on much these days, yet a clear majority now wants the government to keep a closer eye on social media. According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 61% favour stronger oversight of the companies behind the feeds, a striking figure in a country where regulation is usually a partisan flashpoint.
What makes the result unusual is how little the parties diverge on it. Support runs to 71% among Democrats and 62% among Republicans, so while the enthusiasm is not identical, the appetite for tougher rules stretches comfortably across the aisle rather than splitting along it.
The consensus grows even firmer once children enter the picture. Two-thirds of respondents, 66% in all, back laws requiring age-verification tools to keep under-16s off the platforms, and here it is Republicans who lead at 74%, with Democrats close behind on 69%.
That worry about young users rests on a widely shared belief about harm. A remarkable 85% think social media can be addictive for children, and similar majorities say it damages their mental health, a verdict that helps explain why age checks command such broad support.
The public’s feelings about their own use are far more tangled, though. Seven in ten say the time they spend on the platforms is fun, even as 35% report feeling stressed by it and 52% admit they spend too much time scrolling each day, a set of answers that captures the love-hate relationship many have with their phones.
