Seven-In-10 Voters Say Banning or Heavily Restricting Youth Access to Technology Could Have Unintended Consequences

New Survey and Focus Groups Find Broad Support for Comprehensive Youth Mental Health Solutions and Digital Literacy Initiatives

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition to Empower our Future today released new research finding that voters and parents across the country believe narrow approaches to youth mental health that ban or heavily restrict access to phones and technology could create unintended negative consequences for young people. The findings reveal broad support for comprehensive approaches to youth mental health and strong demand for solutions that help young people, parents and educators navigate an increasingly digital world.

"Parents intuitively understand that youth mental health is not a challenge that can be solved by any single silver bullet, and that over-indexing on restricting technology may actually make things worse," said Glen Weiner, executive director of the Coalition to Empower our Future. "As parents, we want our kids to succeed in an increasingly digital world, and we need tools to help us navigate this. CEF's research underscores why it's so important to take a nuanced approach and avoid the temptation to ban our way out of this challenge. Let's focus on practical, comprehensive solutions that actually equip families, schools, and communities with the tools young people need to thrive both on- and offline."

According to the survey, seven-in-10 voters and roughly three-quarters of parents agree that approaches focused on banning or heavily restricting youth access to phones and technology could have negative unintended consequences. Parents participating in the research expressed concerns that such policies fail to address the root causes of youth mental health challenges and may leave young people less prepared to navigate the realities of a digital world.

• "Speaking from my own experience, I was open with [my parents] about what I was doing. Bans, with no questions asked, are not a good solution because it'll be like 'okay, I'm not allowed to do this, so now I have more of an inclination to do this.'" – NY Parent

• "I don't necessarily support taking the phones away. It's like solving a symptom, but not necessarily the problem." – CA Parent

While there's concern about narrow, ban-based approaches, voters and parents report widespread support for comprehensive solutions. In fact, nearly three-quarters of voters and parents said that they support a comprehensive set of solutions to improve youth mental health rather than solutions focused on a single factor. Approximately three-in-four parents across California, New York and Texas, as well as 72 percent of voters nationwide, said a broad approach is the best way to address youth mental health and wellbeing.

The research also found overwhelming support for digital literacy education. More than eight-in-10 voters and nearly nine-in-10 parents agree that young people should be taught how to use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) safely and responsibly. Similar numbers believe parents should receive education and resources to help guide their children's technology use.

Parents consistently emphasized the importance of preparing young people to engage responsibly with technology rather than attempting to eliminate access altogether. Participants described digital literacy, parental involvement and comprehensive mental health supports as critical components of any successful long-term solution.

The full research findings can be found HERE.

The research, conducted in April 2026, in partnership with Mercury Analytics, included a nationwide survey of 2,000 registered voters, oversamples of 600 parents each in California, New York, and Texas, and live conversations with parents across those states.

About the Coalition to Empower our Future

Coalition to Empower our Future is an organization bringing together a range of voices to fully inform solutions that empower youth, parents, communities, and society. The Coalition to Empower our Future supports solutions that are inclusive of the full spectrum of factors impacting youth mental health. Former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, and Dr. Caroline Carney, a board-certified psychiatrist and internist, serve on the board of directors of the Coalition to Empower our Future.

To learn more, visit empowerourfuturecoalition.com or follow Coalition to Empower our Future on Facebook, X and YouTube.

SOURCE Coalition to Empower our Future