Top influences on young people's political opinions
Percent of U.S. young people listing each among their top five influences, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Family (61%). Lowest: Religious leaders (13%).
- Family: 61%
- Friends: 45%
- Personal experiences: 35%
Source: Springtide Research Institute, Does media influence young people’s political views? · Article published 2025-04-01.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Family (61%). Lowest: Religious leaders (13%). Family: 61%. Friends: 45%. Personal experiences: 35%.
Who published this data?
Springtide Research Institute, 2025. Source: Springtide Research Institute, Does media influence young people’s political views? (https://springtideresearch.org/post/data-drop/does-media-influence-young-peoples-political-views).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.