Online Searches for Gun-Related Harm

Importance: Gun violence continues to be a significant public health concern. Access to information about gun-related harm has increased with the advent of social media and websites that host information on this topic. Objective: To provide prevalence estimates of how many adolescents and young adults have conducted online searches for gun-related harm. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study included participants recruited from a nationally representative sample from the US through the AmeriSpeak Panel. Eligibility included individual residents who were youths or young adults aged 10 to 34 years old who could speak or read either English or Spanish. Wave 1 data were collected from September 2023 to January 2024, and wave 2 data were collected between September 2024 and February 2025. Data were analyzed from December 2025 to February 2026. Exposures: Social determinants of health and individual experiences hypothesized to increase odd of the main outcome. Main Outcomes and Measures: Searching online for information about "how to kill yourself with a gun"; "how to get a gun or make a gun"; "how to conceal a gun"; and "how to hurt someone else with a gun." Weighted proportions and means with 95% CIs were used for descriptive analyses. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were used to examine demographic characteristics, social determinants of health, personal experiences (eg, experiences of gun violence, gun violence perpetration), and mental health factors associated with intentionally seeking gun-related harm information online for oneself. Results: In this study, 8452 panelists were invited, 5311 completed the baseline survey, and 4039 completed the wave 2 survey (76.1% retention rate). The sample included 4039 participants (mean [SE] age, 23.0 [0.2] years; 1518 male [weighted percentage, 50.6%]). Among respondents, 361 had ever conducted an online search about gun-related harm (weighted percentage, 8.7%). Of these, 102 searched for information about how to kill oneself with a gun (weighted percentage, 2.5%), 175 about how to get a gun or make a gun (weighted percentage, 4.2%), 153 about how to conceal a gun (weighted percentage, 3.5%), and 70 about how to hurt other people with a gun (weighted percentage, 1.7%). Reasons given for searches varied. Overall, intentionally seeking out gun-related harm information online was less likely for females (aOR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.29-0.57) and more likely for older participants (aOR, 1.03 per year; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05 per year), those living under poor home conditions (aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.04-1.38), those who had been exposed to a greater variety of types of gun violence (aOR, 1.20 per exposure; 95% CI, 1.11-1.29 per exposure), and those who had ever had thoughts of suicide (aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.47-3.33). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of US participants, intentional searches for gun-related harm content were reported by a notable minority of youth and young adults, especially those facing structural disadvantages and mental health distress. Public health strategies that combine digital interventions with structural reforms offer promising avenues to reduce gun-related harm among vulnerable populations.