Social Media Use Linked to Mixed Views on Democracy

Heavy users of social media are more likely than others to believe that leaders are listening to them and to view democratic participation as effective, according to a study conducted by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup. However, they are also less likely to think democracy is the best form of government and more likely to express views that depart from widely held democratic norms about violence and political compromise.

These results are from a nationally representative study of more than 20,000 U.S. adults, conducted July 7-Aug. 25, 2025, that finds complex relationships between social media usage and views of U.S. democracy, even when controlling for age, income and other factors related to social media use.

Heavy Social Media Users More Likely to Feel Valued and Represented

Americans who spend more time on social media are more likely to say their experiences and beliefs are respected by others in the country. Forty-two percent of U.S. adults who spend five or more hours a day on social media, defined as “heavy users,” hold this view, compared with 31% of those who do not use social media, and endorsement steadily rises with greater daily use.

A similar pattern emerges in Americans’ assessment of how sensitive the government is to the interests of people like them: 31% of heavy users feel the government is responsive to their interests, twice the share of non-users (15%).

Social Media Use Tied to Belief in Effectiveness of Participation

The more time Americans report spending on social media each day, the more likely they are to believe that ordinary citizens can influence what happens in the country. Forty-four percent of heavy social media users believe ordinary citizens have a great deal or moderate amount of power to create change in the nation. That figure steadily declines with fewer hours of social media use, down to 30% of those who do not use social media.

Heavy users are also more confident in the effectiveness of common forms of civic participation — from nonviolent protests to donating, campaigning and attending town halls — showing a consistent link between high social media engagement and heightened civic efficacy.

Social Media Users More Critical of Democracy as a Form of Government

At the same time that heavy social media users show stronger belief in citizen empowerment, they are also more likely to question democracy in general. While the majority of heavy users, 57%, strongly agree or agree that democracy is the best form of government, that figure rises to above 70% among those who spend an hour or less on social media each day.

This pattern appears within each political group as well: Both Republicans and Democrats who spend the most time on social media express lower support for democracy than those who use it sparingly. The differences by social media usage are even greater among political independents.

Heavy Social Media Users Stray From Democratic Norms

Americans who spend more time on social media each day express a greater willingness to endorse views that are inconsistent with mainstream democratic norms.

For example, heavy social media users are more inclined to believe that political leaders should avoid compromise and that “facts” are subjective.

Additionally, majorities across all groups say every citizen should have the right to vote, but agreement declines from 78% among non‑users and 80% among the lightest users (less than an hour per day) to 69% among those online five or more hours per day.

Heavy users are also more likely to favor increased government influence over news reporting and stronger executive power, and to endorse the belief that it is sometimes OK to use violence to achieve a political goal. These attitudes represent some of the largest ideological gaps between heavy social media users and other Americans.

Gender Differences in the Social Media-Democracy Link

The association between social media use and attitudes toward democracy — both positive and negative — appears across demographic groups such as age, gender, income and race/ethnicity. However, the strength of these relationships does vary across groups, which may reflect different engagement patterns (e.g., the platforms they use or the types of content they encounter).

For example, although younger adults are more likely to report heavy use, social media use is linked to both a sense of citizen power and departures from mainstream democratic views in all age groups.

Gender differences are evident in how heavier social media use relates to views on civic engagement and democratic norms. For men, heavier use is more strongly tied to feeling represented and confident in citizens’ ability to create change in the nation. But it is also more closely linked to views that depart from core democratic norms, including attitudes toward political compromise, government involvement in the media, and executive power.

In contrast, among women, the strongest relationship between social media use and democratic attitudes appears in evaluations of democracy as a system. With rising social media usage, women are less likely to agree that democracy is the best form of government, and the gender gap widens with more hours of daily use.

Bottom Line

These results suggest that social media may reinforce public beliefs that citizens’ voices matter and their actions can shape the nation’s direction. Heavier users, in particular, express stronger feelings of being represented in government decision-making and more confidence in the effectiveness of core civic actions, from peaceful protests to political campaigning.

Yet this greater sense of empowerment exists alongside signs that heavy social media use is associated with lessened support for foundational democratic principles and even the belief that democracy is the best form of government. Taken together, these findings suggest that social media use may play an increasingly complex role in the health of U.S. democracy.

Read the full report.

Editorial Note: The views and opinions expressed here are made independent of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and without the foundation’s warranty of accuracy, authenticity or completeness. Such statements do not reflect the views and opinions of the foundation which hereby disclaims liability to any party for direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages that may arise in connection with statements made during association with the foundation or independently.

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