Twitter: an example of a wryneck – democracy?

Twitter: an example of a wryneck – democracy?

New York, 5/21/2023

A new poll from Pew Research shows a marked change in the way US Republicans and Democrats view Twitter. Two years ago, a majority of Republican users believed the platform had a negative impact on democracy. Following Elon Musk’s takeover, their views have now become more positive, while Democrats‘ views are more negative.

The percentage of Republican and Republican-leaning users who believe Twitter is primarily bad for democracy has fallen from 60% in 2021 to 21% in 2023, while the percentage who believe Twitter is primarily good for democracy has risen from 17% to 43%. Conversely, the proportion of Democrat and Pro-Democratic Twitter users who think Twitter is good has fallen from 47% to 24%.

Despite these changes, more Twitter users across party lines now believe the platform has no impact on democracy. In addition, the poll also revealed partisan divisions around misinformation, harassment, and courtesy on Twitter. Democratic users are now more likely than Republicans (68% vs. 37%) to say that inaccurate or misleading information is a problem.

According to JM Berger, a social media extremism researcher, moderation of Twitter content has shifted in favor of the far right since Musk took over. The billionaire has been vocal about upholding free speech on the site, reinstating banned users like former President Donald Trump. However, many critics have raised concerns about the increasing amount of post-Musk hate speech, misinformation, and other problematic content.