From defenders to skeptics: The sharp decline in young Americans’ support for free speech

Support among young people for allowing controversial or offensive speech has dropped sharply. J Studios/Getty Images

For much of the 20th century, young Americans were seen as free speech’s fiercest defenders. But now, young Americans are growing more skeptical of free speech.

According to a March 2025 report by The Future of Free Speech, a nonpartisan think tank where I am executive director, support among 18- to 34-year-olds for allowing controversial or offensive speech has dropped sharply in recent years.

In 2021, 71% of young Americans said people should be allowed to insult the U.S. flag, which is a key indicator of support for free speech, no matter how distasteful. By 2024, that number had fallen to just 43% – a 28-point drop. Support for pro‑LGBTQ+ speech declined by 20 percentage points, and tolerance for speech that offends religious beliefs fell by 14 points.

This drop contributed to the U.S. having the third-largest decline in free speech support among the 33…

Source link : https://usa365.info/from-defenders-to-skeptics-the-sharp-decline-in-young-americans-support-for-free-speech/

Author : USA365

Publish date : 2025-05-12 19:08:00

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