Does media influence young people’s political views?
What influences young people’s political views?
Outside of family, friends, and personal experiences, young people identify social media and the news as top influences on their political opinions.
A majority (61%) say that their family is one of the top five influences on their political opinions. Just under half (45%) list their friends as a top influence, and another 35% list their personal experiences. Beyond family, friends, and personal experiences, the top influences on the political opinions of young people are social media (26%) and the news (24%). Other top influences on the political views of young people include political leaders (19%), romantic partners (18%), educators (14%), religious leaders (13%), and online influencers (13%).
Many teens and young adults use social media to gain knowledge, but very few use it to connect politically
Almost half of young people (47%) use social media to gain knowledge, and 35% use it specifically as a source of news and information. When comparing teens (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-25), slightly more young adults (49%) use social media to gain knowledge than teens (45%), but there is no statistical difference between age groups when it comes to using social media as a source for news and information. For all age groups, less than one in ten young people use social media to connect with political organizations, though this is slightly more common for young adults.
Do teens and young adults trust social media?
Most young people say they generally trust both social media and online/print media, but few say they trust these sources “a lot.” One in ten (10%) say they trust social media “a lot,” and 8% trust media (online or print) “a lot.” Two in ten (20%) say they do not trust social media at all, and 23% say the same of media more broadly.
Note: See survey responses in the topline survey results and review methodology here.
