Only around half of West Midlands parents believe a proposed government ban on social media for under-16s would be effective.
A new poll by telecoms firm 24 Seven found that just 53 per cent of parents in the West Midlands think the ban, which is expected to come into force in spring 2027, will work.
However, despite doubts over its effectiveness, 76 per cent of parents in the region said they supported a full ban on social media for children under 16, while only 10 per cent opposed the idea.
National results mirrored regional sentiment, with just over half of parents saying the ban would be effective.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 parents of children aged five to 16, revealed key concerns about children’s online safety.
More than half of parents (52 per cent) said their top worry was children being targeted by strangers, followed by cyberbullying (44 per cent) and exposure to inappropriate content (37 per cent).
David Samuel, founder and managing director of 24 Seven, said: “There is a clear disconnect here.
“Parents want a total ban yet don’t have faith in the government to deliver it.
“Therefore, we need to also consider how technology can play its part.”
The survey also found that 60 per cent of parents allow their children more than one hour of unsupervised screen time per day.
Mr Samuel said: “While Government can count on the support of British parents for this initiative, the bigger challenge is now convincing them that it can be effective.
“There is a contradiction at the heart of parent’s views on online safety.
“It is clearly a massive worry for parents, with more than a quarter (26 per cent) having lost sleep on the issue, but there is general scepticism about how to manage the problem.”
The research was carried out in August by British Polling Council–accredited pollster Censuswide.
