Three-quarters (74%) of Irish adults are in favour of a social media ban for under-16s similar to the one announced by the UK government.
Research from Pure Telecom, conducted by Censuswide, found that, at 78%, men are more likely than women (69%) to favour a ban.
Furthermore, support rises to 80% among parents of children aged 16 and under and to 88% among parents of six-to-eight-year-olds, highlighting the depth of concern about how social media is affecting young children.
However, there are widespread doubts about the plausibility of any such move, with half (50%) of the 1,000 respondents believing it would be impossible to enforce any social media ban for under-16s.
Nearly a third (31%) believe responsibility for children's social media usage ultimately lies with the parents rather than the government, although 39% believe parents need government intervention to help keep children safe.
The majority of adults also believe that social media companies themselves should bear more responsibility. Some 57% say they should be legally responsible for protecting children online.
Despite the widespread support for a social media ban for under-16s, 43% of adults admit that they think social media can be a positive outlet for some children, and many believe that education must be a part of the solution.
The majority (58%) believe schools should be teaching children how to use social media safely, if they are not already doing so, while 44% believe digital literacy would be more effective than a blanket ban.
“Our research shows that this is a topic that adults in Ireland care deeply about, but there are mixed opinions on whether an outright ban can be effective, or if it is enough on its own," said Paul Connell, CEO of Paul Telecom.
"For example, 18- to 24-year-olds are the least likely age group to support a ban, but the most likely to advocate for social media safety to be taught in schools.
Older adults, meanwhile, are more likely to support a ban and less likely to call for schools to be involved.
“Regardless of people individually, our research shows that a whole-society approach – which includes Government, teachers, parents and children – is the one that is preferred by the large majority.”
*This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.