Newly released results from a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted between September 8 and 13, 2020 show that people frequently post about politics and social issues on social media. Only 9% of adult social media users say they do so. Approximately 70% of social media users say they either never use it (40%) or rarely use it (30%).
The top two reasons users cited for 5 potential reasons for not posting about these topics were fearing that what they posted or shared would be used against them and because of their opinions. They didn’t want to be attacked. About a third of people who never post or share about these issues say each statement is a big reason why.
About one-fifth of people who never or rarely post about these issues say their main reasons for doing so are: they have nothing to add to the conversation, they don’t pay attention to political or social issues, or they want to offend others. There are things you don’t want to do.
Pew Research Center has long studied the intersection of social media and politics. Surveyed 10,093 U.S. adults from September 8 to 13, 2020 to find out how often Americans post or share political or social issues on social media and why they don’t. We conducted a survey. The Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) is an online survey panel recruited through a random sampling of residential addresses across the country. In this way, nearly every American adult has the opportunity to choose. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education, and other categories. Learn more about ATP’s methodology here.
The questions, answers, and methodology used in this report include:
The answers to these questions, asked of Americans last fall as the 2020 presidential election approached, varied by political party and ideology. Among social media users, Republicans and those who lean Republican say they post about political or social issues less often, with 74% saying they never or rarely post. , compared with a lower percentage (66%) of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters who say the same thing. Approximately 44% of Republican social media users and 36% of Democratic social media users I never have Do this.
The newly released results also reflect patterns seen in other center studies of political posts on social media and other political activities such as voting and activism. People at the center of the ideological spectrum (i.e., self-proclaimed conservatives or moderate Democrats, and liberal or moderate Republicans) are more likely than people at the ends of the spectrum (i.e., liberal Democrats or conservatives) to They are more likely to be reluctant to engage with social media. Republican Party).
Among social media users, Republicans who identify as moderate or liberal are more likely than conservative Republicans to say they never or rarely post or share about political or social issues. 15 points higher (83% vs. 68%). Similarly, nearly eight in ten (77%) conservative or moderate Democrats who use social media say they never or rarely post this type of content. In contrast, the proportion of liberal Democrats is lower (56%).
These new results are consistent with other Pew Research Center findings about the relatively modest prevalence of political posts on social media. For example, the center analyzed tweets posted by U.S. adults with public accounts between June 2018 and June 2019 and found that only 13% of tweets mentioned domestic politics. Only a few of these users were classified as “prolific political tweeters” (posted at least 10 tweets during the period, and at least a quarter of those tweets were about national politics). It was 6%. This pattern is not unique to politics. In 2020, our analysis found that a small number of users created the majority of the more common tweets. Still, another survey during the recent election season found that 55% of Americans said they were tired of political posts on social media, and Republicans were more likely to say so than Democrats.
Additionally, there are many ways social media users can be politically and socially active on social media, and these change depending on current events. In a 2018 survey, about 14% of U.S. adults said in response to a question about a political or social issue that they had used a hashtag related to that issue in the past year, and 18% said they had used a hashtag related to the same issue. Timeframe in which respondents said they changed their profile picture to show support for. A June 2020 survey conducted in response to global protests against racial injustice found that around one in five social media users (18%) had used such hashtags in the past month. Approximately one-third (36%) said they had used it. I posted a photo to show my support for a cause.
Some possible reasons do not have In this new survey, similar proportions of Democrats and Republicans cited posting or sharing content about political or social issues as a top priority. But there are other areas where partisan and ideological differences are noticeable.
For example, Republicans who use social media but post less frequently about these issues are more concerned than Democrats that this content could be used against them. more likely to say this is the main reason they don’t post in this way (37% vs. 29%). They are also more likely to say the main reason is because they don’t want to be attacked for their opinions (36% vs. 27%). And conservative Republicans are more likely to cite this as a reason than moderates or liberals in the party. The main reason why I rarely post.
Research from other centers has examined political discourse and perceived harassment both offline and online. For example, Republicans in a 2019 Center study on political discourse reported not feeling in a “comfortable” environment to express their opinions, and another recent study found that half of Americans , those who have experienced online harassment believe it is a result of their political views.
When it comes to other main reasons why someone doesn’t post about political or social issues, similar percentages of Democratic and Republican social media users who never or rarely post say they don’t want to offend others, or don’t post about these issues. I’m citing not paying close attention or not having any. Add to conversation. However, although fewer Democratic social media users self-identify as conservatives or moderates, they are more likely than liberal posters to say the latter two reasons are their main reasons. .
Note: The questions, answers, and methodology used in this report include:
Colleen McClain He is a research fellow at Pew Research Center specializing in Internet and technology research.