Nearly all New Jersey voters say social media is fueling a youth mental health crisis, and overwhelming majorities back tougher regulation of the platforms, according to a poll by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
Most New Jersey voters (89%) view the mental health of children as a serious issue — 58% say it is very serious, and another 31% call it somewhat serious — and 91% believe that unsafe content on social media endangers a young person’s mental health.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, as a candidate and since taking office, has been focused on the perils of social media for children and has called for a series of reforms, including enhanced oversight of social media algorithms and more aggressive safeguards over content delivery to minors.
The poll data shows significant support for government regulation and oversight.
More than nine in ten voters (93%) support forcing social media companies to adhere to tougher data privacy standards for minors, while 88% back warning labels on content that potentially affects a child’s mental health. Additionally, 79% of voters want the state to increase funding for school-based mental health services – but there is a partisan divide on that issue: 93% of Democrats back greater spending, but the number drops to 59% among Republicans.
Women appear to have a greater concern over online safety for kids than men, by margins in the low double-digits.
The Stockton poll shows that almost seven in ten New Jerseyans (68%) believe social media companies and parents should share responsibility for protecting children online on an equal basis; 19% say responsibility rests with parents, and 12% believe the social media companies are responsible.
“There’s a clear political appetite for holding social media companies more accountable when it comes to protecting children online and addressing the youth mental health crisis that’s emerged in recent years,” said Alyssa Maurice, assistant director of the Hughes Center. “Legislation often lags behind technology, and the poll shows voters want these guardrails prioritized.”
Seven in ten voters said they had some familiarity with how social media platforms use AI-driven algorithms to connect young people to content, and 74% of voters support expanded government oversight of AI use in content recommendations.
The Hughes Center for Public Policy conducted the survey between April 21-27, with a sample of 642 registered voters and a margin of error of +/- 3.9%.
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