Social Media

44% of Americans think major technology companies should be regulated more than they are now, down from 56% in April 2021.

73% of U.S. adult Twitter users include identifiable text in their profile, but 27% include no text apart from the display and username fields.

In April 2021, we followed up with many of the same parents surveyed in March 2020 on their children’s use of technology and social media.

Public views are tied to how these technologies would be used and what constraints would be in place.

Roughly half of American adults who use Twitter (49%) post fewer than five tweets per month; 59% of infrequent tweeters are ages 30 to 49.

64% of members of Congress mentioned Black History Month on Facebook or Twitter in February 2021, up from just 29% in 2015.

Asked to "imagine a better world online," experts hope for a ubiquitous – even immersive – digital environment that promotes fact-based knowledge, offers better defense of individuals’ rights, empowers diverse voices and provides tools for technology breakthroughs and collaborations to solve the world’s wicked problems.

Adoption of key technologies by those in the oldest age group has grown markedly since about a decade ago.

Here is how the average adult Twitter user in the U.S. tweeted about the news in 2021, as well as how these patterns have changed since 2015.

Many experts say public online spaces will significantly improve by 2035 if reformers, big technology firms, governments and activists tackle the problems created by misinformation, disinformation and toxic discourse. Others expect continuing troubles as digital tools and forums are used to exploit people’s frailties, stoke their rage and drive them apart.