Poll: 64% of Americans Say Social Media Does ‘More to Divide Us’

Mask-wearing, vaccinations, wokeness, white guilt; the list goes on and on for white divides us today, but a new poll suggests social media may be the fuel to the divisive fire. According to a national NBC News poll, the majority of Americans believe social media platforms do more to divide us than anything else.

“64 percent if Americans think social media platforms do more to divide us” reports NBC News. That includes the overwhelming majorities of most groups: “of Republicans (77 percent), independents (65 percent) and Democrats (54 percent), as well as majorities of white (70 percent), Latinos (56 percent), young adults (61 percent) and seniors (71 percent).”

Not surprisingly, the numbers to the very same question did not change much from 2018 to 2019 but add a global pandemic fueled with constant confusion and a contentious presidential election, and those numbers differed substantially.

NBC reports “When the poll last asked this question in March 2019, 57 percent of respondents said social media platforms do more to divide us, while 35 percent said they do more to unite us.” With the current 64% think social media platforms do more to divide us, only 27 percent of all adults currently believe those platforms do more to bring us together.

The demographic with the closest split is Black Americans. 42 percent say social media is more divisive while a close 40 percent say it’s more unifying. 66 percent of all adults admit to social media use at least once a day, whereas only 33 percent do not.

NBC’s poll also asked a quality of life question: “among daily social media users, 49 percent say social media platforms make their lives better, while 37 percent say they make their lives worse.” The groups that say social media enhances their lives are Democrats, women and college graduates. On the flip side, Republicans, men and those without college degrees disagree.