2023/10/01 by Ariel Hasell, Sedona Chinn · 1 voice · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Media Influence and Health #Social Media and Politics
paper · doi:10.1177/20563051231211945
openalex publication_date 2023/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
As social media are increasingly integrated into our lives, scholars have examined how social media use can inform beliefs about politics and science. This study considers the political implications of following lifestyle influencers and their aspirational content in social media. Aspirational social media use may shape political attitudes and beliefs, even when not explicitly political. Using a two-wave survey of American adults ( N = 1,421), this study examines whether aspirational use of social media is associated with anti-expert attitudes and inaccurate beliefs about politicized science. Data indicate that aspirational social media use is associated with anti-intellectualism and holding more inaccurate beliefs, but not with overall distrust of science. These relationships are moderated by political affiliation, so that the attitudes and beliefs of Democrats and Republicans are similar at high levels of aspirational social media use. The results highlight the need to better understand the political implications of different types of social media use, including seemingly apolitical social media.