New research shows limited evidence that social media polarises public opinion

People are now almost as likely to get most of their news about politics via social media as they are through television. And there are signs that those who do so are less trusting of Parliament and the courts and are more likely to vote for the two challengers to Britain’s conventional party politics, Reform and the Greens. However, there is evidence that concerns that social media is polarising public opinion more generally appear to be exaggerated.
These are the key conclusions of new analysis on the impact of social media on political attitudes that appears in the latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) report, published today by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).

Widespread use

• Over one in four (27%) say they get most of their news about political matters from social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter); only slightly below the three in ten (31%) who get their news from television (either broadcast or online)
• Social media is the primary source of political news for 58% of those aged under 35, compared with just 8% of those aged 55 and over. This generational difference suggests social media may soon become the single most common source of political news
• Apart from being younger, social media users are also more likely to come from an ethnic minority background and have less in the way of educational qualifications. They are also less likely to express an interest in politics

Living in a virtual bubble?

• It is often argued that those who rely on social media for their political news are more likely to do so in an environment of people who share the same political outlook as themselves
• 43% of those who primarily get their political news from social media say they often come across views online with which they disagree, more than the 16% who say they ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ do so
• In contrast, only 35% of those who primarily get their political news from television, radio or newspapers say they often encounter views online with which they disagree
• 54% of social media users say they often consult a second source when looking for political news online, while 36% say they often do so by checking out a source they do not normally use
• Only 53% of those who primarily get their political news from social media think it is a reliable source of news about political matters. 44% feel it is unreliable

Less trusting and more polarised?

• Concern is often expressed that social media undermines trust in politics and serves to polarise public opinion
• 32% of social media users have a low level of trust in the courts, compared with 26% of those who primarily obtain their political news from other sources
• 54% of social media users have a low level of trust in Parliament, compared with 49% of those who get most of their news from other sources
• Nearly one in three social media users (32%) are either very libertarian or very authoritarian in outlook, compared with just over one in four (27%) of other users
• 32% of social media users voted in the 2024 election for either Reform (20%) or the Greens (12%), eleven points above the figure for other users
• 25% of social media users hold very ‘left-wing’ views compared with only 14% of other users. But only 8% have a very ‘right-wing’ outlook, compared with 13% of other users
• 30% of social media users are either very sympathetic or very unsympathetic towards welfare, the same proportion as among other users

Marta Mezzanzanica, Research Director, National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), said: “The advent of social media cannot be ignored. For many who have grown up with social media, it is the principal medium through which they engage with politics. This is particularly true for those with fewer educational qualifications and less interest in politics. If things continue on this trajectory, as older generations who favour traditional forms of political news are replaced by younger generations, social media’s importance as a political news source is set to increase.”