23% of users in U.S. say social media led them to change views on an issue; some cite Black Lives Matter
The share of social media users who say they have changed their views on an issue has increased since we last asked this question in 2018.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The share of social media users who say they have changed their views on an issue has increased since we last asked this question in 2018.
Many experts say digital life will continue to expand people’s boundaries and opportunities. Yet nearly a third think that people’s overall well-being will be more harmed than helped in coming years.
Overall, 36% of Americans get science news at least a few times a week and three-in-ten actively seek it. Most get science news from general news outlets, but more see specialty sources as being accurate.
Experts are split on whether the coming years will see less misinformation online. Those who foresee improvement hope for technological and societal solutions. Others say bad actors using technology can exploit human vulnerabilities.
Exposure to a range of new ideas and viewpoints that many social media users encounter can occasionally cause people to change their minds about political issues or candidates.
Many experts fear uncivil and manipulative behaviors on the internet will persist – and may get worse.
Nearly two years after Snowden’s revelations, 87% of Americans say they have heard about U.S. surveillance programs. Among them, 25% say they have changed their own technological behaviors in some way.
President Obama’s recent interviews with Buzzfeed and Vox, and his embrace of online news and social media more generally, stands in a long tradition of presidents employing novel communications technologies to speak to Americans directly.
Criticism of the governor among users outnumbered defenders by about 3-to-1 after news broke of e-mails linking his office to closing down traffic lanes in an act of political revenge.
A list of some of the most revealing and interesting comments about how teens think about social networking sites and how they navigate issues of identity and privacy.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center