In recent years, concerns about social media’s role in politics and its impact on the country have been growing among Americans, especially Democrats. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, most Americans express these concerns, with a notable uptick among Democrats. The research highlights that Republicans stand out on various measures, with a majority believing that major technology companies display bias towards liberals.
The survey focused on three main areas: Social media’s impact on politics and the country, Political censorship and bias in Big Tech, and Government regulation of technology companies. Since 2020, there has been an increase in the number of Americans who believe that social media companies have too much political power. The survey revealed that roughly 78% of Americans feel that these companies have too much power and influence in politics, up from 72% in 2020. Only 16% believe that social media companies have the right amount of political influence, while a mere 4% believe they do not have enough power.
The survey also highlights growing concerns about political censorship and bias in Big Tech. A majority of Republicans (57%) believe that major technology companies are biased against conservatives or Republicans. This is significantly higher than the percentage of Democrats who hold this view (35%). However, it is important to note that there is some overlap between these two groups – some Republicans also expressed concerns about bias towards liberals (18%) while some Democrats also expressed concern about bias against conservatives (19%).
Finally, the survey looked at government regulation of technology companies. While many Americans express concern about the power held by these companies, only a small percentage believe that the government should take more action to regulate them. Just 33% said they would like to see more government regulation of big tech companies like Facebook and Google, while nearly half (49%) said they would prefer no regulation at all.
Overall, these findings suggest that while there are significant concerns about social media’s role in politics and its impact on the country among Americans