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To study Americans’ views of social media activism, Pew Research Center surveyed 5,097 adults from February 10-17, 2025. What they found: 42 % of U.S. social media users say that the platforms are “very” or “somewhat” important to them when it comes to getting involved with political or social issues. Younger users (those under 30) are notably more likely to see social media as a key avenue for activism, with 53% of them indicating it’s personally important for issue engagement, compared to 37% of adults ages 65+.
Since 2023, Pew has reported an uptick in those who say social media is very or somewhat important to them personally when it comes to: finding other people who share their views about important issues (50%, up from 40% in 2023), getting involved with political or social issues that are important to them (42%, up from 30% in 2023), and giving them a venue to express their political opinions (34%, up from 27% in 2023). This increase illustrates that more users now see social media as a tool for building community and engagement with like-minded people.
Americans recognize that social media can be a double-edged sword. Respondents credit social media with highlighting important issues that might not get a lot of attention otherwise (69% agreed), helping give a voice to underrepresented groups (69% agreed), and making it easier to hold powerful people accountable for their actions (48% agreed). At the same time, they thought social media distracts people from issues that are truly important (79% agreed) and makes people think they are making a difference when they really aren’t (76% agreed).
While social media isn’t the silver bullet for maximizing civic engagement, it’s a meaningful tool that Americans are increasingly turning to in order to get involved with political and social issues.
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