Super scrollers sour on democracy: poll
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Heavy social media users are less likely to think democracy is the best form of government and more likely to stray from democratic norms, according to a newly released study from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup.
The big picture: New research suggests social media is reshaping how people engage with democracy, expanding access to ideas while also contributing to a more fractured media environment.
Zoom in: Among U.S. adults who don't use social media or use it for less than an hour a day, 72% and 73%, respectively, rank democracy as the best form of government.
- The share slips to 57% among those who spend five or more hours a day on social media.
- Heavy users are also more likely to see facts as subjective (16% vs. 9%) and to say it is sometimes OK for people to use violence to achieve a political goal (22% vs. 8%).
Between the lines: Among those heavy users, 42% believe their experiences and beliefs are respected by others in the country, compared with 31% of those who do not use social media.
- At the same time, the polling found that the more time Americans spend on social media daily, the more likely they are to believe ordinary citizens can influence what happens in the country.
The other side: Two-thirds of Americans agree that democracy is the best form of government and overwhelmingly share several democratic values, according to a prior Democracy for All Project report from Gallup and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
Methodology: The results are based on a survey completed by 20,338 U.S. adults between July 7-Aug. 21, 2025. The maximum margin of sampling error is +/- 0.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Go deeper: Leaders warn of authoritarian threat, urge action in 2026
