Nearly all Americans agree that the rampant spread of misinformation is a problem. Most also think individual users, along with social media companies, bear a good deal of blame for the situation.
But, there are relatively very few who are concerned that they themselves might be responsible, according to a new poll from The Pearson Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
According to a new survey from The Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, ninety-five percent of Americans identified misinformation as a problem.
About half put a great deal of blame on the U.S. government, and about three-quarters point to social media users and tech companies.
Only 2 in 10 Americans say they’re very concerned that they have personally spread misinformation, though about 3 in 10 say they’re somewhat concerned.
About 6 in 10 are somewhat concerned that friends or family members have been part of the problem.
For Carmen Speller, a 33-year-old graduate student in Lexington, Kentucky, the divisions are evident when she’s discussing the coronavirus pandemic with close family members. Speller trusts COVID-19 vaccines; her family does not.
She believes the misinformation her family has seen on TV or read on questionable news sites has swayed them in their decision to stay unvaccinated against COVID-19.
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In fact, some of her family members think she’s crazy for trusting the government for information about COVID-19.
“I do feel like they believe I’m misinformed. I’m the one that’s blindly following what the government is saying, that’s something I hear a lot,” Speller said. “It’s come to the point where it does create a lot of tension with my family and some of my friends as well.”
According to the poll, 61% of Republicans and 38% of Democrats say the U.S. government has a lot of responsibility for spreading misinformation.
The survey found that 79% of Republicans and 73% of Democrats believe social media companies are responsible for the spread of misinformation.
