Social Media Loopholes Are Exposing Minors to Dangerous Gun Marketing

New survey by Sandy Hook Promise reveals majority of young boys see sexualized firearm ads weekly

NEWTOWN, Conn., April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As people across the country talk more about school shootings, youth mental health, violence, and self-harm, new research from Sandy Hook Promise has found a worrying trend. Young boys are often seeing dangerous firearm ads online – and their parents usually don't know about it.

These findings come at a time when guns are still the number one cause of death for children in the United States, and this has been true for several years.

Working with KRC Research, Sandy Hook Promise asked parents and boys between 10 and 17 years old about how firearm ads and content from online personalities are reaching young people. They also looked at how this content affects what kids think about gun culture and using guns. These findings are part of Sandy Hook Promise's ongoing UnTargeting Kids campaign, which wants to increase awareness and stop harmful ways of marketing firearms to children.

"The firearm industry is aggressively pushing harmful ideas about masculinity – using very sexualized and violent content to market firearms to kids," said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. "This kind of marketing preys on young boys' insecurities and how they see themselves. It's the same kind of messaging that influenced the shooter who murdered my son and 25 others at Sandy Hook Elementary. This type of marketing isn't just irresponsible – it's dangerous and it has deadly consequences."

Key Findings from the Survey:

• More than half (54%) of boys ages 10–17 report seeing sexually charged firearm content at least once a week.
• Boys in households with guns are even more likely to be exposed (62%) compared to those in non-gun-owning households (47%).
• Boys who frequently play video games are nearly 2.5x more likely to see sexually charged gun content (61%) than those who play less often (25%).
• 38% of boys have clicked on a firearm ad they saw online.
• 32% of boys follow influencers who promote firearms, but only 27% of parents are aware their child follows such accounts.
• 30% of parents have noticed gun advertising or influencer content on their child's social media – but only 8% have recognized it as sexually charged, highlighting a major awareness gap.
• 77% of both parents and boys agree that companies should not be allowed to advertise firearms to children under 18 – and that sentiment is the same in both households with firearms and those without.

"Our children are learning about who they are, their power, and their value from online personalities and ads that make weapons look exciting and connect them to being in charge and attractive," said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was also killed at Sandy Hook. "These messages are risky, especially for young people who might be having a hard time with their mental health, feeling alone, or not feeling good about themselves. Parents should be in control of how they teach their children about these issues; not gun companies."

Cultural Context and Marketing Loopholes
Because young boys spend a lot of time on sites like YouTube and TikTok, there's worry about how this kind of content might encourage violence and change how they see themselves and what they're worth. Firearm sellers are taking advantage of this. They're using online personalities, funny images, and content meant for adults to get around rules about ads and put guns into the online images that kids admire and want to be like.

Even though most websites don't allow direct gun ads, there's a way around this. Online personalities can promote firearms, and this reaches millions of kids without much control. Unlike how tobacco ads are controlled to protect young people, gun ads are still too easy for kids to see.

Call to Action
Sandy Hook Promise is calling on parents, tech companies, and policymakers to take urgent action:

• Close the loopholes on social media platforms that allow gun companies to reach children through content creators and other influencers.
• Demand that tech companies monitor and restrict gun content from reaching minors.
• Support federal and state-level action to prohibit the marketing of firearms to youth under 18.

This research is part of a bigger effort to help people understand and change how guns are sold and advertised. The goal is to make sure that wrong ideas about guns – especially among young people – don't lead to more violence and school shootings.

"We've known for a long time that kids are easily influenced by ads. Now we see just how forceful – and dangerously untrue – some of these messages have become," Hockley said. "We're asking parents, online personalities, social media sites, and people in the firearm industry to do a better job. Our children's safety and mental well-being depend on it."

Learn more and take action by visiting https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/untargetingkids.

About the Research
This national survey was conducted online by KRC Research from March 6–12, 2025, among a demographically representative sample of boys ages 10–17 and parents of boys in the same age group. The surveys were unpaired, meaning parent and child participants were not related. The study provides one of the first detailed looks at youth exposure to firearm marketing content in the current social media landscape.

About Sandy Hook Promise
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP's mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the evidence-informed "Know the Signs" programs, SHP teaches how to identify warning signs and intervene effectively. SHP also advocates for bipartisan policy solutions that protect children and promote responsible gun ownership. SHP was founded by family members who lost loved ones in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

SOURCE Sandy Hook Promise