Study Shows: Americans Drastically Overestimate Proportion of Harmful Content Posters on Social Media

A new study reveals that Americans significantly overestimate the percentage of social media users who post harmful content. Surveys show people普遍 believe that 43% of Reddit users and 47% of Facebook users post severely toxic comments or fake news, but actual data indicates these harmful contents are generated by only 3-7% of highly active users. This misconception leads to negative emotions, perceptions of moral decline in society, and distorted understanding of others’ preferences. The research also notes that platform algorithms promote harmful content to attract attention, while platforms are reluctant to enforce strict moderation due to profit motives. These findings reveal how social media undermines social cohesion and provide important insights for content moderation and algorithm optimization.