Conservatives Now Favor X, According to Pew Study

According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, the social media platform X has seen an increase in popularity among conservatives since being acquired by tech billionaire Elon Musk in October 2022.

Under Musk’s ownership, the percentage of Republican users who believe X is beneficial for American democracy has more than tripled. In 2021, only 17% of Republicans viewed Twitter positively in terms of democracy, but now 53% feel the same about X.

On the other hand, the study shows a decline in support for X among Democrats, with only 26% now believing it is good for democracy compared to 47% in 2021.

X has become a welcoming platform for conservative voices, with over half of conservative users feeling supported in expressing their political views. In contrast, only a third of Democrats feel their political views are welcomed on the site. Left-leaning users are also more likely to view harassment as a major issue on X.

Musk’s goal with X was to create a platform dedicated to free speech, leading to the reversal of bans on figures like former President Donald Trump and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The study also highlights the role of social media in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, with almost 75% of X users encountering political content on the platform. GOP politicians, including Ron DeSantis, are leveraging X for political campaigns and events. X is even set to host a town hall with Trump, as Biden reportedly declined to participate.

The Pew study, based on over 10,200 U.S. adults surveyed in March, reveals these trends in user perceptions and behaviors on social media platforms like X. The study was released with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.