{"id":170630,"date":"2024-06-12T09:55:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T13:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?p=170630"},"modified":"2025-07-20T23:23:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T03:23:24","slug":"how-x-users-view-experience-the-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-x-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"2. How X users view, experience the platform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Americans who use X \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/01\/31\/americans-social-media-use\/\">about a quarter of adults, as of last year<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s a place people turn to stay entertained, connect with others and keep up with what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, it\u2019s a platform where change has been a constant, including Elon Musk\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2023\/08\/03\/twitters-x-rebrand-explained\">rebranding of it from Twitter to X<\/a>. Throughout the changes, X has been at the center of national debates surrounding <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/elon-musk-technology-donald-trump-business-misinformation-c60bc41229339eaec5008188fa6d057c\">free speech<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/politics\/x-new-rules-political-discourse-concern-right-skepticism-left\">political discussion<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2023\/05\/01\/after-musks-takeover-big-shifts-in-how-republican-and-democratic-twitter-users-view-the-platform\/\">democracy itself<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our survey took a deep dive into users\u2019 experiences and views of X. Among the key findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Politics is part of life on X.<\/strong> About three-quarters of users (74%) see at least some political content on the platform, and a majority (59%) say keeping up with politics or political issues is a reason they use it.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Republicans who post about politics there are especially likely to say a major reason they do so is that their views feel welcome.<\/strong> They\u2019re more likely than Democrats who post about politics on X to say this is the case (54% vs. 33%). (Throughout this report, references to Republicans and Democrats include independents who lean toward each party.)<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>More users say X is mostly good (38%) than bad (27%) for democracy, but there are deep partisan divides on this topic. <\/strong>The share saying it\u2019s mostly good has risen since our last survey. This reflects growing positivity among Republican users.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Despite these divides, there\u2019s bipartisan agreement that people feel free to express their political views on X.<\/strong> Most Republican (89%) and Democratic (86%) users say this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;why-and-how-people-use-x&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-and-how-people-use-x\">Why and how people use X<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our survey explored the \u201cwhy\u201d and \u201cwhat\u201d behind how people use the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reasons-for-using-x\">Reasons for using X<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170744\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d5dce6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"964\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-01.png?resize=480,551 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-01.png?resize=782,897 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-01.png?resize=840,964 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-01.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that Most users are on X because it\u2019s entertaining, but majorities also use it for politics, news\" class=\"wp-image-170744 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d5dce6; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked X users about seven reasons they might use it. Among the key takeaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>X is entertaining. <\/strong>Most users say this is a reason they\u2019re on it, including more than four-in-ten who say this is a major reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Many use it to get news or keep up with politics and political issues.<\/strong> And about a quarter each say this is a <em>major <\/em>reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Connection and keeping up with sports or pop culture round out the most commonly cited reasons for using X.<\/strong> Majorities of users cite each as a reason for using X. Those shares each include roughly a quarter who say they\u2019re major reasons for being on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Related:<\/em><\/strong><em> <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/2024\/06\/12\/x-users-experiences-with-news\/\">News as a reason people use X<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican X users are more likely than their Democratic peers to say a major reason they use X is to keep up with politics (29% vs. 20%) or to get news (29% vs. 21%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"seeing-politics-on-x-nbsp\">Seeing politics on X&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seeing politics on X is commonplace. The vast majority of X users (74%) come across at least some political content as they browse the site. This includes 29% who say all or most of what they see is about politics or political issues, and 45% who say that\u2019s some of what they see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170745\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d5dae0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"896\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-02.png?resize=410,896 410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-02.png\" alt=\"A pie chart showing that The vast majority of X users see at least some political content on it\" class=\"wp-image-170745 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d5dae0; width:205px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But not everyone sees politics: 18% see only a little of this type of content, and 8% see none at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican users (75%) are just as likely as Democratic users (73%) to see at least some politics on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"posting-about-politics-on-x\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Posting about politics on X<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though the majority of X users see political content there, fewer post or share it themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170746\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d0d3cb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"410\" height=\"992\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-03.png?resize=410,992 410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-03.png\" alt=\"A pie chart showing that 14% of X users say they post at least some political content there\" class=\"wp-image-170746 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d0d3cb; width:205px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just 14% of X users say they share at least some things about politics or political issues there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About one-in-five say they post, but that little (9%) or none (11%) of it is about politics. By far the largest share \u2013 65% \u2013 don\u2019t post on the platform at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say they post all, or mostly, political content (9% vs. 5%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"why-do-people-post-about-politics-on-x\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do people post about politics on X?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In total, 24% of X users say they post at least a little about politics there. We followed up by asking them about four specific reasons why they might do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170747\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d1d8e2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"850\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-04.png?resize=480,486 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-04.png?resize=782,791 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-04.png?resize=840,850 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-04.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that Most X users who post about politics say it\u2019s because their views are welcome there \u2013 but also because they feel obligated to do so\" class=\"wp-image-170747 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d1d8e2; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among X users who post about politics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many say their <strong>views being welcome on X<\/strong> (76%) and <strong>feeling it\u2019s something they should do<\/strong> (74%) are reasons they post about political topics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>67% say it\u2019s because <strong>politics belongs there.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>58% say a major or minor reason they post about politics is that it\u2019s <strong>a place they can make a difference<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170748\"><img data-dominant-color=\"edecec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"994\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-05.png?resize=480,568 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-05.png?resize=782,925 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-05.png?resize=840,994 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-05.png\" alt=\"A dot plot showing that Republicans who post about politics on X are more likely than Democrats to say that a major reason they do so is that their views are welcome there\" class=\"wp-image-170748 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #edecec; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans and Democrats cite similar <em>major<\/em> reasons why they post about politics on X, with one exception: it being a welcoming environment. Some 54% of Republican X users who post about politics say this is a major reason, versus 33% of their Democratic counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely than Republicans to cite this as a <em>minor<\/em> reason (38% vs. 26%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-people-don-t-post-about-politics\">Why don\u2019t people post about politics on X?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170749\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d1d8e1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"818\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-06.png?resize=480,467 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-06.png?resize=782,762 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-06.png?resize=840,818 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-06.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that 51% of those who don\u2019t post about politics on X say it\u2019s because they don\u2019t think it will make a difference\" class=\"wp-image-170749 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d1d8e1; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, we asked the 11% of X users who say they post, but not about politics, about four potential reasons why they might not do this.[5.numoffset=&#8221;5&#8243; Findings for why people do not post about politics are not broken out by party due to sample size considerations.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re more likely to say it&#8217;s because it won\u2019t make a difference than to say politics doesn\u2019t belong there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among X users who post, but <em>never<\/em> about politics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>51% say it\u2019s because <strong>posting there won\u2019t make a difference,<\/strong> including 29% who say that\u2019s a major reason they don\u2019t post about politics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Similarly, roughly four-in-ten each say a reason is <strong>avoiding criticism or harassment<\/strong> (42%) or <strong>not caring about politics<\/strong> (41%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About a third (36%) of those who don\u2019t post about politics cite <strong>politics not belonging there<\/strong> as a reason.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;how-x-users-see-its-climate-and-impact&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-x-users-see-its-climate-and-impact\">How X users see its climate and impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Politics plays a prominent role in X users\u2019 day-to-day experiences \u2013 as well as in the platform\u2019s policies and decisions. It\u2019s been in the spotlight for everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/11\/19\/1131351535\/elon-musk-allows-donald-trump-back-on-twitter\">reinstating banned users<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/episodes\/elon-musk-twitter-and-free-speech\/\">advocating for free speech on the platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this light, we wanted to understand how X users themselves feel about the platform\u2019s impact and environment \u2013 both the good and the bad.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"x-and-american-democracy\">X and American democracy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170750\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f1f0f0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"824\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-07.png?resize=480,471 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-07.png?resize=782,767 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-07.png?resize=840,824 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-07.png\" alt=\"A line chart showing that Growing share of Republican X users see it as mostly good for democracy\" class=\"wp-image-170750 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f1f0f0; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, more X users say the platform is mostly good for democracy (38%) than say it is mostly bad (27%); 34% say it has no impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The share saying it\u2019s good has ticked up since 2023 and is now roughly on par with when we first asked about this in 2021 \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/10\/27\/technology\/elon-musk-twitter-deal-complete.html\">before Musk bought the platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Views of X and democracy are deeply partisan. Republicans are about twice as likely as Democrats to say it\u2019s good for democracy (53% vs. 26%). Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to say it\u2019s <em>bad<\/em> (39% vs. 13%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These partisan divides have shifted dramatically over the past several years. Today, 53% of Republican users say X is mostly good for American democracy, compared with 43% who said so a year ago and just 17% in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Democratic users have become more likely to deem the site bad for democracy since the question was first asked in 2021. That share has risen from 28% to 39% today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"free-expression-on-x\">Free expression on X<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170751\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dadee1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"634\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-08.png?resize=480,362 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-08.png?resize=782,590 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-08.png?resize=840,634 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-08.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that Across parties, X users widely view it as a place where people feel free to express their political views\" class=\"wp-image-170751 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dadee1; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">X has been in the national \u2013 and even global \u2013 spotlight recently over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2024\/04\/18\/musk-moraes-brazil-free-speech\/\">Musk\u2019s pledges related to users\u2019 speech<\/a>. But do users view it as a place where politics can freely be shared?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most X users (87%) say so \u2013 they think people feel free to openly express their political views on the platform. Only 12% think people <em>don\u2019t<\/em> feel free to do so on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar shares of Republican (89%) and Democratic (86%) users say people generally feel free to express their political views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"political-content-users-see-on-x\">Political content users see on X<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170752\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e9e8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"660\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-09.png?resize=480,377 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-09.png?resize=782,614 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-09.png?resize=840,660 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-09.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that X users are about equally likely to say the political content they see leans liberal versus conservative\" class=\"wp-image-170752 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e9e8; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked how the political content they see on X leans, users hold mixed views. About one-in-five each say it leans mostly liberal (19%) or mostly conservative (18%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The largest share says it doesn\u2019t lean either way (31%). About a quarter (23%) are not sure, and 8% don\u2019t see anything about politics or political issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are minor differences in views by party. Democratic users are somewhat more likely than their GOP peers to say what they see leans liberal (22% vs. 16%). Republican users, on the other hand, are more likely to say it doesn\u2019t lean either way (37% vs. 26%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"harassment-on-x\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Harassment on X<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=170753\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e4e7eb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"708\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-10.png?resize=480,405 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-10.png?resize=782,659 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-10.png?resize=840,708 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_2-10.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that Many X users \u2013 especially Democrats \u2013 see harassment as a problem on the platform\" class=\"wp-image-170753 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e4e7eb; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About three-quarters of users (73%) say people getting harassed is a problem on X, including 32% who say it\u2019s a <em>major <\/em>problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>By party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are sizable partisan gaps in views of this issue\u2019s extent. Democratic users are far more likely than Republican users to say harassment is a major problem on X (48% vs. 15%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By contrast, 40% of Republicans who use the site say harassment is <em>not<\/em> a problem on X, compared with 13% of their Democratic counterparts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Americans who use X \u2013 about a quarter of adults, as of last year \u2013 it\u2019s a place people turn to stay entertained, connect with others and keep up with what\u2019s going on. At the same time, it\u2019s a platform where change has been a constant, including Elon Musk\u2019s rebranding of it from Twitter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":377,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_crdt_document":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","relatedPosts":[],"reportMaterials":[],"multiSectionReport":[],"package_parts__enabled":false,"package_parts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"bylines":[],"acknowledgements":[],"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[]},"categories":[311,403,274,424,312],"tags":[],"bylines":[667,940,647],"collection":[2367],"datasets":[2775],"level_of_effort":[],"primary_audience":[],"information_type":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[458],"_fund_pool":[2389],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[],"research-teams":[526],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-170630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-facebook","category-instagram","category-politics-online","category-tiktok","category-twitter-x","bylines-colleen-mcclain","bylines-monica-anderson","bylines-risa-gelles-watnick","collection-pew-knight-initiative","datasets-american-trends-panel-wave-144","formats-report","research-teams-internet"],"label":false,"post_parent":170603,"word_count":1421,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-x-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","art_direction":{"A1":{"id":170841,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png?w=564&h=317&crop=1","width":564,"height":317,"caption":"Pew Research Center illustration","chartArt":false},"A2":{"id":170841,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"caption":"Pew Research Center illustration","chartArt":false},"A3":{"id":170841,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png?w=194&h=110&crop=1","width":194,"height":110,"caption":"Pew Research Center illustration","chartArt":false},"A4":{"id":170841,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"caption":"Pew Research Center illustration","chartArt":false},"XL":{"id":170841,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured.png?w=720&h=405&crop=1","width":720,"height":405,"caption":"Pew Research Center illustration","chartArt":false},"social":{"id":171571,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured_PKI-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_politics-across-platforms_featured_PKI-logo.png?w=1200&h=628&crop=1","width":1200,"height":628,"caption":"","chartArt":false}},"_embeds":[],"watchers":[],"table_of_contents":[{"id":170603,"title":"How Americans Navigate Politics on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram","slug":"how-americans-navigate-politics-on-tiktok-x-facebook-and-instagram","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-americans-navigate-politics-on-tiktok-x-facebook-and-instagram\/","is_active":false},{"id":170613,"title":"1. How TikTok users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":false},{"id":170630,"title":"2. How X users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-x-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-x-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":true},{"id":170634,"title":"3. How Facebook users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-facebook-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-facebook-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":false},{"id":170638,"title":"4. How Instagram users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-instagram-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-instagram-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":false},{"id":170642,"title":"Appendix","slug":"politics-across-platforms-appendix","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/politics-across-platforms-appendix\/","is_active":false},{"id":170646,"title":"Acknowledgments","slug":"politics-across-platforms-acknowledgments","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/politics-across-platforms-acknowledgments\/","is_active":false},{"id":170650,"title":"Methodology","slug":"politics-across-platforms-methodology","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/politics-across-platforms-methodology\/","is_active":false}],"report_materials":[{"key":"_4tkth5edd","type":"report","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_Politics-Across-Platforms_REPORT.pdf","label":"Report PDF","attachmentId":171290},{"key":"_ds2592j83","type":"topline","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/06\/PI_2024.06.12_Politics-Across-Platforms_TOPLINE.pdf","label":"Topline","attachmentId":171280},{"type":"dataset","id":2775,"label":"American Trends Panel Wave 144","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/dataset\/american-trends-panel-wave-144\/"}],"report_pagination":{"current_post":{"id":170630,"title":"2. 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How TikTok users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":false,"page_num":2},"pagination_items":[{"id":170603,"title":"How Americans Navigate Politics on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram","slug":"how-americans-navigate-politics-on-tiktok-x-facebook-and-instagram","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-americans-navigate-politics-on-tiktok-x-facebook-and-instagram\/","is_active":false,"page_num":1},{"id":170613,"title":"1. How TikTok users view, experience the platform","slug":"how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/06\/12\/how-tiktok-users-view-experience-the-platform\/","is_active":false,"page_num":2},{"id":170630,"title":"2. 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