Majorities in most countries surveyed say social media is good for democracy
Social media has increased public access to information and created platforms for political activism. Yet some also say it is 
As social media use 
In 14 countries surveyed, younger adults are more likely than older people to say social media has been a good thing for democracy.
This difference is most prevalent in Poland, where 86% of adults under 40 say social media has benefited democracy in their country, compared with 56% of those ages 40 and older. Double-digit differences exist in 10 additional countries surveyed.
Education
In 13 countries, adults with more education are more likely than those with less schooling to say that social media has been a good thing for democracy. In South Africa, for example, there is a 22-percentage-point difference on this question between those with more education and those with less.
(Education systems differ by country, so in this analysis, levels of attainment for “more education” and “less education” also vary. Read the “
Those who use social media are significantly more likely than non-users to say that social media has benefited democracy in their country. In every country surveyed, there is a difference of at least 10 points between social media users and non-users on this question. Non-users, however, are also less likely to offer an opinion on this question in most places.
For example, in Israel, social media users are 77 percentage points more likely than non-users to say social media has been a good thing for democracy (82% vs. 5%). But about a quarter of non-social media users in Israel decline to provide a response, compared with just 5% of those who do use social media.
And in Poland, South Africa, Australia, Japan and elsewhere, social media users are far more likely than non-users to express a positive view of its effect on democracy. In every country surveyed, social media users are at least 10 points more likely to take this stance than non-users.
Note: Here is the question used for the analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.
