Global patterns of social media use and political sentiment

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between social media usage and demographic as well as political attitudes using the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Spring 2023 Survey. The findings reveal that women are slightly more likely to use social media than men globally (52% vs. 48%). Country-specific analysis highlights gender variations, with higher male engagement in India (61.8%) and predominant female usage in Indonesia (58.2%) and Brazil (63%). Age significantly influences social media use, as users are generally younger (M = 35.79) compared to non-users (M = 45.47). Additionally, social media users express slightly higher satisfaction with democracy, although the effect size remains small. The analysis also reveals social media's association with smaller household sizes and lower prayer frequency, suggesting changes in traditional lifestyles. Notably, social media users report a stronger sense of global connectedness compared to non-users, particularly in countries like Kenya and South Africa.

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