NEW YORK, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Parents may soon have more tools to help protect their teens online. The landmark agreement between the states and Meta introduces new safeguards, including screen-time limits, overnight restrictions and expanded parental controls.

The Coalition to Empower our Future is releasing the first parent survey examining reactions to the agreement, revealing whether families believe these changes are what young people need.

For the Coalition to Empower our Future, the agreement is an important step toward giving parents and young people more support in today’s digital world. The organization believes families need practical tools, not one-size-fits-all solutions, to help kids use technology safely and responsibly.

On September 4, Glen Weiner, executive director of the Coalition to Empower our Future, conducted a nationwide media tour discussing what the agreement means for parents and young people, why other platforms should follow Meta’s lead and new survey findings on whether parents want expanded protections and stronger safety tools for their children.

What were some of the most significant findings from this research?

Eighty-one percent of the parents in our survey, across the country and across the political divide, support the online safety measures that the states and Meta agreed to.

Parents overwhelmingly believe these protections can improve youth mental health and wellbeing, but they want to see them extend beyond one platform.

Four in five parents told us they want to see other platforms—whether that’s YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat or others—adopt these same protections. Young people move quickly between social apps, and parents want to see consistent safeguards in place, no matter which platform they’re using.

What does the agreement mean for parents and teens?

This agreement gives parents more tools to manage their children’s social media use and provides young people with additional protections as they navigate these platforms.

Some of these measures are particularly relevant with kids heading back to school recently. For example, 77 percent of parents support muting push notifications during school hours, helping young people limit distractions and focus on schoolwork. Another 80 percent support limiting the amount of time kids can spend on social media overall.

These safeguards can ensure that young people are not overexposed to social media and instead allow kids to spend more time on activities such as after-school sports, clubs and extracurriculars. They are also an important part of a broader, comprehensive approach to supporting youth mental health and wellbeing

Why do you say that other social media platforms should adopt these safeguards? 

Young people don’t use just one social media platform, so safeguards can be most effective when they extend across the platforms where young people spend their time.

According to the Pew Research Center, 92 percent of teens are on YouTube, 68 percent are on TikTok, 63 percent are on Instagram and 31 percent are on Facebook. That helps explain why four in five parents want to see other platforms adopt these same measures.

This agreement opens the door to expanding the adoption of important safeguards across social media.

For more information, visit EMPOWEROURFUTURECOALITION.COM

About YourUpdateTV:

YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Coalition to Empower our Future.

Media Contact
Michael O’Donnell
D S Simon Media
212-736-2727
modonnell@dssimon.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d881e536-dc26-4fb2-afc5-8bbecb3d2ec8


Primary Logo

About The Author
D S Simon