Report · Politics

Three-quarters of Americans say fake news is a big problem for teens

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted April 9 to 15, 2025, 74% of Americans agreed that the spread of fake news is a big problem among adolescents, who do not generally have the tools to handle it. This includes 39% who strongly agree and 35% who somewhat agree.

About one in twelve disagreed (8%), with 5% who somewhat disagree and 3% who strongly disagree. Another 18% were neutral.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

74% of Americans say fake news is a big problem for teens.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?: "The spread of fake news is a big problem among adolescents, who don’t generally have the tools to handle them."

  • 5 - Strongly agree 39.5%
  • 4 - Somewhat agree 34.6%
  • 3 - Neither agree nor disagree 17.8%
  • 2 - Somewhat disagree 5.1%
  • 1 - Strongly disagree 3.1%

2025 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.5%

policy

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-04-09 → 2025-04-15
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.5%
Module
policy

Source

Citation

Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2025-026, fielded April 9-15, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-mpsa-omnibus-survey-2025-026#to-what-extent-do-you-agree-or-disagree-with-the-following-statement-the-spread-of-fake-news-is-a-big-problem-among-adolescents-who-don-t-generally-have-the-tools-to-handle-them

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.