{"id":274619,"date":"2025-09-16T10:55:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T14:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=274619"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:49:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:49:30","slug":"42-of-social-media-users-say-the-sites-are-important-for-them-getting-involved-with-political-social-issues","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/09\/16\/42-of-social-media-users-say-the-sites-are-important-for-them-getting-involved-with-political-social-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"42% of social media users say the sites are important for them getting involved with political, social issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Livestream
Livestream of doctors and community leaders speaking against the Israel-Hamas war outside the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2024. (Andrew Thomas\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For some, social media is a place to engage with politics, whether it\u2019s to share information about protests<\/a> or learn about candidates for office<\/a>. But how valuable do Americans think social media is for them personally<\/em> to get involved in issues and express their political opinions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we did this<\/summary>\n

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand Americans\u2019 views of social media activism and its impact on the political environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this analysis, we surveyed 5,097 adults from Feb. 10 to 17, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Interviews were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors. Read more about the ATP\u2019s methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the questions used for this analysis<\/a>, the topline<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Half of U.S. adult social media users say social media is very or somewhat important for them when it comes to finding others who share their views about important issues, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller shares say social media is important for getting involved with political or social issues that are important to them (42%) or giving them a venue to express their political opinions (34%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More users see social media as important for each of these reasons than when we last asked this question in 2023. And the share who say it\u2019s important for finding like-minded people is at its highest since 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, views of social media\u2019s importance for getting involved with personally important issues or expressing political opinions are on par with or slightly lower than in 2018 and 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By age<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Younger adults on social media are much more likely than older users to say social media is important for finding like-minded people and getting involved.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, 53% of users under 30 say social media is personally important for getting involved with issues that are meaningful to them. About four-in-ten of those 30 and older say the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are smaller age differences when it comes to social media\u2019s importance for expressing political opinions. Still, users under 30 remain more likely to value it for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By race and ethnicity<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Asian, Black and Hispanic users are more likely than White users to find social media personally important for all three reasons we asked about. <\/strong>This was also true in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, roughly six-in-ten Asian, Black and Hispanic users say today that these platforms are at least somewhat important to them for finding others who share their views. By comparison, 45% of White adults say the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By party<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Among those who use social media, Democrats and Democratic leaners are more likely than Republicans and GOP leaners to say social media is important for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n