Nigh two-thirds of Americans (64%) say social media accept a by and large negative effect on the way things are going in the country today, according to a Pew Inquiry Center survey of U.S. adults conducted July xiii-xix, 2020. Just i-in-x Americans say social media sites have a generally positive effect on the way things are going, and one-quarter say these platforms take a neither positive nor negative effect.

Majority of Americans say social media negatively affect the way things are going in the country today

Those who take a negative view of the affect of social media mention, in particular, misinformation and the hate and harassment they meet on social media. They also have concerns about users assertive everything they see or read – or not existence sure about what to believe. Additionally, they bemoan social media'southward role in fomenting partisanship and polarization, the cosmos of repeat chambers, and the perception that these platforms oppose President Donald Trump and conservatives.

This is role of a series of posts on Americans' experiences with and attitudes well-nigh the part of social media in politics today. Pew Research Heart conducted this study to sympathize how Americans call back virtually the impact of social media on the way things are currently going in the country. To explore this, nosotros surveyed 10,211 U.S. adults from July xiii to 19, 2020. Anybody who took office is a member of the Center's American Trends Console (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults accept a run a risk of selection. The survey is weighted to exist representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan amalgamation, educational activity and other categories. Read more than almost the ATP'due south methodology.

Here are the questions used for this study, along with responses, and its methodology.

The public'south views on the positive and negative effect of social media vary widely by political amalgamation and ideology. Across parties, larger shares describe social media'south impact every bit by and large negative rather than mostly positive, but this belief is particularly widespread among Republicans.

Roughly one-half of Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party (53%) say social media take a largely negative effect on the way things are going in the country today, compared with 78% of Republicans and leaners who say the same. Democrats are about three times as likely as Republicans to say these sites accept a by and large positive bear upon (14% vs. five%) and twice as likely to say social media have neither a positive nor negative event (32% vs. xvi%).

Among Democrats, at that place are no differences in these views forth ideological lines. Republicans, nevertheless, are slightly more divided by ideology. Bourgeois Republicans are more probable than moderate to liberal Republicans to say social media take a mostly negative effect (83% vs. lxx%). Conversely, moderate to liberal Republicans are more likely than their conservative counterparts to say social media have a generally positive (viii% vs. 4%) or neutral impact (21% vs. 13%).

Younger adults are more than probable to say social media accept a positive touch on the way things are going in the country and are less probable to believe social media sites take a negative impact compared with older Americans. For instance, 15% of those ages 18 to 29 say social media take a mostly positive effect on the way things are going in the land today, while only 8% of those over historic period 30 say the same. Americans xviii to 29 are also less likely than those 30 and older to say social media accept a generally negative affect (54% vs. 67%).

Republicans, Democrats divided on social media's impact on country, especially among younger adults

However, views amid younger adults vary widely past partisanship. For instance, 43% of Democrats ages 18 to 29 say social media take a mostly negative issue on the way things are going, compared with virtually 3-quarters (76%) of Republicans in the same age group. In addition, these youngest Democrats are more probable than their Republican counterparts to say social media platforms have a by and large positive (20% vs. 6%) or neither a positive nor negative effect (35% vs. 18%) on the way things are going in the country today. This partisan sectionalisation persists among those 30 and older, but most of the gaps are smaller than those seen within the younger accomplice.

Views on the negative impact of social media vary simply slightly between social media users (63%) and non-users (69%), with non-users being slightly more likely to say these sites have a negative impact. However, among social media users, those who say some or a lot of what they see on social media is related to politics are more than likely than those who say a fiddling or none of what they see on these sites is related to politics to think social media platforms have a mostly negative effect on the mode things are going in the country today (65% vs. l%).

Past Pew Research Center studies take fatigued attending to the complicated relationships Americans have with social media. In 2019, a Eye survey found that 72% of U.South. adults reported using at to the lowest degree one social media site. And while these platforms have been used for political and social activism and date, they also raise concerns amidst portions of the population. Some think political ads on these sites are unacceptable, and many object to the way social media platforms take been weaponized to spread fabricated-up news and engender online harassment. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, a share of users credit something they saw on social media with irresolute their views near a political or social issue. And growing shares of Americans who use these sites also report feeling worn out by political posts and discussions on social media.

Those who say social media have negative impact cite concerns most misinformation, hate, censorship; those who meet positive impact cite existence informed

Roughly three-in-ten who say social media have a negative effect on the country cite misinformation as reason

When asked to elaborate on the main reason why they think social media have a mostly negative effect on the manner things are going in this country today, roughly three-in-ten (28%) respondents who hold that view mention the spreading of misinformation and made-up news. Smaller shares reference examples of hate, harassment, disharmonize and extremism (16%) as a main reason, and 11% mention a perceived lack of critical thinking skills among many users – voicing business organisation about people who apply these sites believing everything they meet or read or being unsure about what to believe.

In written responses that mention misinformation or made-upward news, a portion of adults oft include references to the spread, speed and amount of fake information bachelor on these platforms. (Responses are lightly edited for spelling, style and readability.) For instance:

"They allow for the rampant spread of misinformation." –Human, 36

"False information is spread at lightning speed – and false information never seems to go away." –Adult female, 71

"Social media is rampant with misinformation both about the coronavirus and political and social issues, and the social media organizations do not do enough to combat this." –Woman, 26

"Too much misinformation and lies are promoted from unsubstantiated sources that lead people to condone vetted and expert information." –Woman, 64

People's responses that centered around detest, harassment, disharmonize or extremism in some way oftentimes mention concerns that social media contributes to incivility online tied to anonymity, the spreading of hate-filled ideas or conspiracies, or the incitement of violence.

"People say incendiary, stupid and thoughtless things online with the perception of anonymity that they would never say to someone else in person." –Homo, 53

"Promotes hate and extreme views and in some cases violence." –Man, 69

"People don't respect others' opinions. They take it personally and effort to fight with the other group. You can't share your own thoughts on controversial topics without fearing someone volition effort to hurt you or your family unit." –Woman, 65

"Social media is where people go to say some of the virtually hateful things they can imagine." –Human, 46

Virtually one-in-ten responses talk virtually how people on social media can exist easily confused and believe everything they see or read or are not sure nigh what to believe.

"People believe everything they see and don't verify its accuracy." –Human being, 75

"Many people can't distinguish between real and fake news and data and share it without doing proper research …" –Man, 32

"You don't know what'due south faux or existent." –Human being, 49

"Information technology is hard to discern truth." –Woman, eighty

"People cannot distinguish fact from stance, nor can they critically evaluate sources. They tend to believe everything they read, and when they see contradictory information (particularly propaganda), they shut down and don't appear to trust whatever information." –Human being, 42

Smaller shares complain that the platforms censor content or allow material that is biased (nine%), too negative (7%) or as well steeped in partisanship and division (six%).

"Social media is censoring views that are unlike than theirs. There is no longer liberty of speech communication." –Woman, 42

"It creates more separate between people with dissimilar viewpoints." –Man, 37

"Focus is on negativity and encouraging angry behavior rather than doing something to help people and make the world amend." –Adult female, 66

25% of Americans who say social media have a positive impact on the country cite staying informed, aware

Far fewer Americans – x% – say they believe social media has a more often than not positive effect on the way things are going in the country today. When those who hold these positive views were asked nigh the main reason why they thought this, 1-quarter say these sites help people stay informed and aware (25%) and about i-in-ten say they let for communication, connection and community-edifice (12%).

"We are at present aware of what'southward happening around the earth due to the social media outlet." –Woman, 28

"Information technology brings awareness to important issues that impact all Americans." –Human, 60

"Information technology brings people together; folks can meet that at that place are others who share the aforementioned/similar experience, which is really important, especially when so many of us are isolated." –Woman, 36

"Helps people stay continued and share experiences. I also become advice and recommendations via social media." –Human, 32

"It keeps people connected who might experience solitary and lone if there did not have social media …" – Human, 65

Smaller shares tout social media as a identify where marginalized people and groups have a voice (8%) and as a venue for activism and social movements (7%).

"Spreading activism and info and inspiring participation in Black Lives Thing." –Woman, 31

"It gives average people an opportunity to vocalism and share their opinions." –Human, 67

"Visibility – information technology has democratized admission and provided platforms for voices who have been and keep to be oppressed." –Woman, 27

Note: This is function of a series of web log posts leading upward to the 2020 presidential election that explores the role of social media in politics today. Here are the questions used for this study, along with responses, and its methodology.

Brooke Auxier is a one-time research acquaintance focusing on internet and engineering science at Pew Research Eye.