This report calls for greater transparency from digital platforms to help parents better understand and respond to youth exposure to firearm-related content online.
The report identifies key transparency improvements for social media platforms that would help put parents – not algorithms, influencers, or weapon sellers — back in the driver’s seat.
These include clearer disclosure around:
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- How often minors are shown firearm-related content
- How recommendations are shaped by engagement, user data, and emotional indicators
- Which influencers and content pathways are promoted to young users
- The safety standards in firearm content recommended and shown to youth
Acknowledgements: This report was made possible with funding from Sandy Hook Promise and the generous donors of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
Research Independence. Children and Screens conducted this research with full intellectual and scientific independence. The design, execution, analysis, and interpretation of all findings were carried out solely by the research staff at Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, free from any influence by funding sources.
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