Pew Research Center

As social media platforms have become an important part of the information environment around the world, the view that social media is harming democracy has become more common. A new 37-nation Pew Research Center survey finds that in most countries where trend data is available, the share of the public who believes social media is bad for democracy has increased significantly from 2022 or 2023 to now. Views about social media’s impact are particularly negative in the United States, where 64% of adults say it is bad for democracy.

For the first time, Democrats are now more likely than Republicans to be concerned about the growing role of artificial intelligence in daily life and its potential to take jobs. In a June Pew Research Center survey of U.S.

Most Americans see freedom of the press – protected by the First Amendment to the U.S.

Just over half of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphone. About a third of adults say their smartphone use is about right, while just 3% say they spend too little time using these devices. Younger adults stand out for describing their smartphone use as excessive. Seven-in-ten adults under 30 say they spend too much time on it, as do about two-thirds of those ages 30 to 49.

More and more Americans are using AI chatbots, including turning to them for health information. These chatbot health users are motivated by a host of reasons, ranging from making diagnoses to learning about their lab results.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults (77%) support in-class cellphone bans for middle and high school students. This finding marks the second consecutive year of rising support for the policy. Just 18% say they oppose such a ban, while 6% are unsure. And for the first time, more Americans now support than oppose a ban on students using cellphones during the entire school day. About half of U.S. adults (48%) back “bell-to-bell” school cellphone bans for middle and high school students, up from 36% in 2024.

Americans’ engagement with others is not one-dimensional. Rather than falling along a single spectrum, U.S. adults sort into four distinct groups that reflect different patterns of participation:

Although health providers are the most common place Americans turn for information about their health, social media influencers and podcasts also play a major role. This is especially true for young women: 57% of women ages 18 to 29 say they ever get health and wellness information from influencers.