The Pew Research Center published a study on Oct. 7, 2026, that said the main way Americans get their news is through digital devices.
In an earlier fact sheet, Pew Research Center found 53% of American adults say they at least sometimes get news from social media.
As the digital age continues to evolve, news is delivered directly to people through their favorite social platforms straight to their devices.
I believe that if we are not thoughtful about what we consume, social media can lead to the spread of misinformation and divide many people.
According to a 2018 study published in Science, about 126,000 news stories were shared by around 3 million people on Twitter between 2006 and 2017. Researchers categorized the stories as true or false, using fact-checking organizations.
The study found that false news spread faster than true news. Political misinformation spread most effectively.
A 2023 study published in Science involved an experiment that tested if replacing users’ personalized feeds on Facebook and Instagram with chronological feeds that displayed posts in the order of publication rather than based on an algorithm’s recommendation would reduce political polarization.
The study found that users actually saw more content from untrustworthy sources and more political content with a chronological feed. Despite this, the study found no significant changes in political attitudes, knowledgeor self-reported political engagement. The most notable change for those with chronological feeds was the decrease in online engagement altogether.
In addition to the faster spread of misinformation, the 2023 study also found results on Facebook that were consistent with the echo chamber effect. Echo chambers occur when algorithms show users what they already agree with instead of opposing viewpoints.
In reality, there is no single factor that can fully explain or resolve political polarization in the United States. Even if what people see is changed, their underlying political views can remain virtually unaffected, at least during short-term studies.
So, what can be done to fix the political divide on social media? Well, one major problem is sharing without verifying. To combat this issue, students should take the time to find out if posts are accurate before reposting.
Not every repost is fruitful, and not every story is uplifting. The truth matters, but how the truth is communicated matters as well. If we all learn to think critically about what we read online, research the truth and selectively share posts that promote truth, then social media could be positively changed.
In a nation full of noise, thoughtlessly adding to the conversation risks reflecting the world’s behavior rather than standing apart from it. As representatives of Christ, being cautious and gracious about deeply emotional topics is not weakness but wisdom.
Fogal is a POV reporter for The Liberty Champion.