America’s Opinion on Social Media Is Different From the Rest of the World
With the increase in social media usage over the past decade, more and more people are getting their news from platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
A Pew Research Center study shows that most people across the globe believe that social media’s ability to make information easy to access has been beneficial for democracy. But Americans seem to have a different opinion. Here’s what the data revealed.
The Data
In the spring of 2022, Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 19 countries with advanced economies around the world, including the US, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
The survey featured questions focused on general technology use and personal views of how the internet and social media affect democracy and society.
At a Distance
Historically, Pew Research Center has conducted its surveys in person to ensure the most accurate results. Due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent surveys have been conducted in a mix of online and phone interviews. This can limit participation to those with an internet connection.
Moving forward, the center plans to return to all in-person interviews to better represent the global population in its results.
Social Media on the Rise
Over the past decade, social media usage has increased exponentially in almost all 19 countries surveyed. In the US, social media usage jumped 22 percent in just ten years.
Age Matters
The increase in social media usage is most apparent among adults 50 and older. In 2012, only 28 percent of US adults over 50 used social media, whereas the number jumped to 60 percent in 2022.
The Race for Readers
According to Pew Research Center’s survey results, about half of all US adults get their news from social media. Facebook is by far the most popular social media news source, with roughly one-third of US adults using the site as their main source of information. Another 27 percent get their news from Twitter. YouTube is close behind at 25 percent, followed by Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit.
Is Social Media Bad for Democracy?
Fifty-seven percent of participants surveyed say social media has been good for democracy. However, the US stands in stark contrast to the rest of the countries surveyed, with just 34 percent of participants agreeing. According to Pew Research Center’s poll, 64 percent of US adults think that social media has a decisively negative impact on democracy. It was the highest result of any country polled.
Americans See Social Media as Divisive
Based on Pew Research Center’s survey results, Americans largely believe that social media has made people more divided in their political opinions. A massive 79 percent of US adults surveyed took this stance, compared to the poll’s median result of 65 percent. The US had the highest percentage of any country polled.
The Political Party Dance
As with so many topics in American politics, there’s a difference in how political parties view the negative effects of social media on democracy. According to Pew Research Center’s survey results, Republicans and conservative Independents are 17 percent more likely than Democrats and other liberal voters to see the negative effects of social media on the American political system.
Not-So-Civil Discourse
Americans differ widely from the rest of the developed world on the ferocity of online political debate. According to the survey’s results, 69 percent of US adults believe social media has made people less civil in how they talk about politics online. The poll’s median result was 46 percent.
Online Harassment
Based on a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center, one in five Americans experienced online harassment due to their political views. In an earlier 2020 survey, 70 percent of Americans said they never post about political or social issues for fear of being attacked for their views or having their post used against them. Twenty percent of these responders didn’t want to offend others.
Negative Societal Impact
Many Americans believe social media has had a more negative impact on society than the other 19 countries polled. The majority of US adults answered that social media makes people less informed about current events, more divided on political opinions, less accepting of people from different backgrounds, easier to manipulate, and less civil in the way they talk about politics.
Measuring Negativity
To illustrate the negative impact of social media on society, Pew Research Center created an index scored on a scale of 0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being the most negative. The United States scored the highest by far, with a 3.05. The median score for all 19 countries was 2.51.
Social Media and Misinformation
One sticking point that almost everyone seems to agree on is the prevalence of misinformation on social media. A median of 70 percent of respondents in all 19 countries surveyed agree that the spread of false information via social media is a threat to their country. In the US, 85 percent of adults responded that they believe social media has made people easier to manipulate.
The Good News
There’s a bright side to the wide reach of social media. Most respondents in all 19 countries surveyed said that people are more informed about domestic and international events thanks to social media and the internet. This opinion is especially prevalent in respondents under the age of 30, with 71 percent of young Americans agreeing.
Breaking Down Barriers
In addition to feeling more informed about domestic and foreign affairs, survey participants under 30 also felt that technology has made them more accepting of people from different backgrounds. Evidence also suggests that social media helps younger people from marginalized groups feel more empowered in the political process.
A Bright Future?
Pew Research Center’s survey results show a potentially promising future for the use of social media among younger generations. In the US, adults between 18 and 29 years old are 19 percent more likely to say that social media has been a good thing for democracy. This age group is also more likely to claim that social media is an effective political tool for raising awareness and sparking change.
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