64% of Americans say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the U.S. today
Just one-in-ten Americans say social media sites have a mostly positive effect on the way things are going in the U.S. today.
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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.
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Many Americans Get News on YouTube, Where News Organizations and Independent Producers Thrive Side by Side
Videos from independent news producers are more likely to cover subjects negatively and discuss conspiracy theories.
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Americans think social media can help build movements, but can also be a distraction
80% of Americans say social media platforms are very or somewhat effective for raising public awareness about political or social issues.
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Few Americans are confident in tech companies to prevent misuse of their platforms in the 2020 election
73% of Americans express little or no confidence in tech companies to prevent the misuse of their platforms to influence the 2020 election.
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Rising share of lawmakers – but few Republicans – are using the term Latinx on social media
One-quarter of United States lawmakers mentioned the term on Facebook or Twitter during the 116th Congress.
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Outside U.S., Floyd’s killing and protests sparked discussion on legislators’ Twitter accounts
Many legislators in four English-speaking countries directly addressed George Floyd’s killing and the subsequent protests on Twitter.
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Americans Who Mainly Get Their News on Social Media Are Less Engaged, Less Knowledgeable
U.S. adults in this group are less likely to get the facts right about COVID-19 and politics and more likely to hear some unproven claims.
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Parenting Children in the Age of Screens
Two-thirds of parents in the U.S. say parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many citing technologies – like social media or smartphones – as a reason.
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Most Americans say social media companies have too much power, influence in politics
Roughly half of Americans think social media companies should be regulated more than they are now, our survey found.
