Key facts
- 82% of Australian adults support restricting social media access for children.
- 64% of US adult respondents believe social media harms democracy.
- The share of people considering social media bad for democracy increased in 16 of 26 countries with older data.
- Pew surveyed over 45,000 people in 37 countries.
A growing number of people globally believe social media harms democracy by spreading rumors and dividing people, according to a Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday. The findings echo rising concerns and increased scrutiny of social media platforms worldwide.
Companies running popular social platforms, including Meta, Snap and TikTok, have faced thousands of lawsuits and paid large sums to settle claims that they harmed users. Governments have also sought ways to protect citizens' privacy.
Australia has proposed rules to let users opt out of algorithmically recommended feeds, after becoming the first country to ban social media for children under 16. Pew's survey showed that 82% of Australian adults support the government's move to restrict social media access for children.
While a majority of respondents said social media informs people and gives them a voice in politics, there was a broad rise in those who now see social media as a "bad thing" compared to 2022, the report indicated.
People in wealthier countries, including the US, Canada and the UK, are more inclined to believe that social media is harming democracy, compared to those in economies with lower gross domestic product per capita, such as Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria. The US is among the most skeptical, with 64% of adult respondents saying social media harms democracy. The share of people who consider social media bad for democracy increased in 16 of 26 countries where older data was available.
Pew Research surveyed more than 45,000 people in 37 countries, while polling an additional 5,511 US adults on American social media use.