Introduction

The internet and social media are fixtures in American social and civic life. These networks have enabled the dramatic expansion of access to information and ideas, helped amplify millions of marginalized voices and bolstered movements for justice both in the U.S. and around the world. But these technologies that once promised to usher in a new era of democracy are now also being used to spread disinformation and sow distrust.

However, rising pessimism about the tech industry or specific platforms has not changed one important fact: Americans now clearly prefer to get their news online than from television, radio or print media. In 2016, Pew Research Center reported television as Americans’ preferred format for news (46% preferred television, compared with 28% who preferred getting news online). Preference for online news grew to 34% in 2018, while preference for television slightly decreased to 44%. Likewise, Gallup and Knight have seen Americans’ preference for getting news online rise over time: In late 2019 to early 2020, 46% said their preferred format for getting the news was online, using a computer, smartphone or app; this figure rose to 58% in 2022.

These issues notwithstanding, perhaps the most critical context of Gallup/Knight’s research on this topic is the continued disruption internet and social media sources are bringing to newsrooms across the country, as many Americans abandon traditional news sources for digital news platforms. Compounding these difficulties is the fact that very few Americans said they pay for news online. News consumed via digital platforms and devices is the future of the industry.

Gallup/Knight’s research has added further evidence that the “digital revolution” remains a challenge for newsrooms across the country. However, several of our studies have consistently shown that Americans are not embracing online news sources without reservations. U.S. adults are concerned about the quality and quantity of information that can be found online and, more significantly, fear that online sources of information are exacerbating existing political tensions.

Key Findings

Americans see the harms and benefits of the internet, but ultimately, most believe it is dividing, rather than uniting, society.

For most Americans, the bad may outweigh the good, especially when thinking about how these technologies have affected society as a whole and the state of democracy in the U.S.

Perceived benefits of the internet:

The 2022 Media and Democracy report found that 92% of U.S. adults said they use the internet daily, emphasizing how ubiquitous this technology has become in the lives of many.

Americans looking for news and information are increasingly turning to online sources: In late 2019 to early 2020, 46% said they like to get most of their news online, higher than television (41%), radio (9%) and printed newspapers or magazines (5%). In 2022, 58% of Americans said they prefer to get most of their news online, a 12-point increase.

More people believe that social media helps make participating in politics easier rather than harder (35% vs. 13%). This was also true for voting—18% of users said social media has made this act easier, compared with 8% who said it was made harder by this technology.

Nearly half of U.S. adults (48%) said they are more likely to vote as a result of debates in their social media feeds, and 39% said it makes them more likely to follow the news.

Perceived digital harms:

The 2022 Media and Democracy report found that several internet-related issues concern Americans, including how tech companies use personal data, the size and power of technology companies, online bullying, the presence of hate speech and other abusive or threatening language online, and free speech online.

There is growing support among the public for regulating major technology companies and content online, but a wide variety of opinions on what that looks like.

In 2020, 77% of Americans felt major technology companies had too much power, but only 50% favored government intervention that would break these companies into smaller entities.
Data from the same study also showed that, while 84% of U.S. adults did not trust social media companies much or at all to make the right decisions about content online, 55% still preferred these companies to make those decisions over the government.
In 2021, 62% of U.S. adults said elected officials pay too little attention to issues dealing with technology or technology companies, up slightly from 59% in 2020.

When it comes to public opinion on internet regulation, there are 6 distinct segments of American attitudes.

In 2021, more than 10,000 U.S. adults were presented with 10 questions asking them to consider different trade-offs related to internet governance and reform, such as whether they were more concerned about the spread of false or misleading information online, or censorship of online speech by the government or technology companies.

Importantly, four of these groups—representing 51% of Americans altogether—were not highly correlated with political partisanship. Notable characteristics of these “middle of the road” groups included the frequency of their internet usage, reasons they use the internet, age and their general outlook on the state of democracy.