A new Pew Research Center survey finds that people in developed countries have mixed feelings about social media’s impact on political life. Majorities in 19 countries say balanced social media is good for democracy. However, in almost all of these countries, most also argue that social media leads to manipulation and division within society.
Even in emerging countries, the way we think about these topics is not that different. A majority of 11 emerging and developing countries surveyed in 2018 said social media has both positive and negative aspects. Despite the differences in context and timing, the results of the two studies are otherwise similar. Here are six things people in 19 developed and 11 emerging countries agree on when it comes to social media, politics and democracy.
This analysis compares views on the impact of social media on democracy and society in two contexts: developed and emerging economies. The survey was conducted in 19 developed countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Outside the United States, the survey, which is representative of these countries, was conducted from February 14, 2022 to June 3, 2022 among 20,944 adults. The survey covers Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea. The survey was conducted in person in Hungary, Poland and Israel, and online in Australia.
In the U.S., we surveyed 3,581 U.S. adults from March 21 to 27, 2022. All participants in this study are members of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel assembled through a nationwide random sample. of residence address. 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 analysis is also based on a survey of 11 emerging economies conducted in 2018. Each of the 11 surveys was conducted in-person with a national sample of approximately 2,500 or more people. Here we detail our international survey methodology and country-specific sample design. As part of this project, we also conducted focus groups in four countries to inform the survey.
People in both developed and emerging countries say that, overall, social media is more positive than negative for their countries. A median of 57% in 19 developed countries say social media is good for their democracy, according to a new survey. Almost half or more in almost every country say this opinion, and it is most common in Singapore, where 76% share this view. However, in the Netherlands and France, only around 4 in 10 people agree. And in the United States, only about a third think social media is good for democracy, the lowest percentage of the 19 countries surveyed.
In a 2018 survey, people in emerging countries expressed similar views, but asked slightly different questions. When asked about the impact of social media on society, more than half of the respondents in 7 out of 11 countries surveyed answered that social media is mostly good for society, with Vietnam accounting for the largest share (80%). Ta. In India, the percentage of people who answered this was low at 37%, but many said they did not know. When asked more specifically about the impact of increased internet use on politics, people in most countries were more likely to say the internet is having a positive rather than a negative impact.
According to majorities in both developed and emerging countries, staying informed about current events is one of the key benefits of social media. The 19 developed countries surveyed in 2022 generally agree that access to the internet and social media has made their people more informed about domestic events. More than 8 in 10 people in Sweden, Japan, Greece and the Netherlands share this view.
A slightly different question in a 2018 survey of emerging economies found that around two-thirds or more of countries said people: more Thanks to social media, the internet, and smartphones, information is now available to us. This includes approximately 9 out of 10 people in both Jordan and Venezuela.
There is a consensus in both developed and emerging countries that social media is giving people a voice in politics. A median of 77% across 19 economically advanced countries say social media is an effective way to raise public awareness about sociopolitical issues. People in the UK and Singapore were particularly positive about this question, with more than 8 in 10 saying social media is an effective way to draw attention to issues. People in France and Belgium are the least confident about the role of social media in raising public awareness, but majorities in both countries still say social media is effective in highlighting certain issues among the public. It states that it is Many countries surveyed believe social media is effective in changing people’s minds about social and political issues (median 65%).
In 2018, respondents in emerging economies also expressed optimism about the impact of social media on people’s political engagement. Across 11 countries, a median of 57% feel that social media has increased opportunities for people to have a meaningful voice in political processes, with a majority in nine countries holding this view. Only India and Vietnam took this position with less than half. Similar opinions in most countries agreed that social media enhances the ability of non-governmental organizations and charities to advance their causes.
Both studies cited concerns that digital connectivity is making people more susceptible to misinformation. In a recent survey of 19 countries, around half or more in every country said that internet access and social media have made people more susceptible to being manipulated by misinformation and rumors. This includes 9 out of 10 of her from the Netherlands, Australia, the UK, Belgium and Sweden.
At least half of the 11 emerging economies surveyed in 2018 said access to mobile phones, the internet and social media has made people more susceptible to manipulation with misinformation and rumors. Majorities in many regions were particularly concerned that their citizens would be manipulated by domestic politicians. Already in 2018, there was a sense of widespread misinformation. In most countries surveyed, more than a quarter of social media and messaging app users said they frequently encountered misleading content, and a majority in 10 out of 11 countries respondents said they frequently viewed the content. At least sometimes.
People in both developed and emerging countries say social media is exacerbating political tensions. In almost all of the 19 developed countries surveyed, more than half of respondents said that social media has further divided political opinion in their societies. The United States, the Netherlands, and South Korea are particularly likely to hold this view.
And even though the political systems of developed countries differ from those of 11 emerging countries (and the questions asked were not exactly the same), the 2018 survey found that roughly four in ten , and a majority in most countries showed support for the political system. Place – Social media is believed to have further divided people. These respondents were also asked if they had ever unfriended, blocked, or hidden someone from their social media feed because of their political views, and the median number of social media and messaging app users 34% said they had done so.
There is no consensus on how the internet and social media have affected tolerance in both developed and emerging countries. In developed countries, a median of 45% across 19 countries say these tools have made their societies more accepting of people of other ethnic backgrounds, religions and races. Roughly two in 10 say people are less accepting of people, and three in 10 say it hasn’t had much of an impact. In the UK, 46% said social media has made Britons more accepting of people from diverse backgrounds, 37% said it has had little effect, and 14% said social media has made people more accepting of people from different backgrounds. The answer is that it has decreased.
Opinion polls targeting emerging economies asked somewhat different questions. Have the internet and social media made people more or less accepting of people with different views? Again, the range is wide, with the median saying the internet and social media have made people more or less accepting of people with different views. 24% said the internet and social media have made people less accepting, and 20% said it has had little impact. A separate analysis of polls from 11 countries found that people who use smartphones and social media are more likely to regularly interact with people from different backgrounds.
laura silver He is an associate director of global attitudes at the Pew Research Center.
Laura Clancy He is a research analyst at Pew Research Center specializing in the study of global attitudes.