Why Do People Avoid Discussing Science and Religion on Social Media? Findings from a National Sample

Bibliographic Data

ID13103603
AuthorsEszter Hargittai (0000-0003-4199-4868, University of Zurich), Esther Gasser (0009-0004-1144-4069, University of Zurich), Laura Magó (University of Zurich), Becca Smith (0000-0002-2697-1513, University of Zurich)
Year2024
Volume10
Publication date2024-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2378-0231 • E-ISSN: 2378-0231
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/23780231241275430
OpenAlexW4405479106
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited36

Social media is increasingly important for discussing a myriad of topics, including the sometimes contentious topics of science and religion. Although existing work on why people avoid conversations on social media has put forth some specific reasons, little such research has focused on these important topical domains, domains that sociologists have identified as having a complex relationship. Additionally, rarely have such questions been investigated on representative samples that make generalizations possible. This article fills a gap in the literature by analyzing survey responses from a national sample of 2,505 American adults collected in 2023 to explore what reasons people give for avoiding discussions about science and religion on social media. In addition to presenting the relative importance of various reasons for people staying away from such discussions, analyses also consider how sociodemographic characteristics, religiosity, and science literacy relate to whether people avoid such conversations in online environments

Media studies · Political science · Sample (material · Social media · Social science · Sociology · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Psychology · Social Media and Politics

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Open DOIOpen Access