Keep your promises, even when your peers do not: a survey experiment on the influence of social media on trust

Abstract

This study measures the effect of partisan and polarizing social media messages on political trust and trustworthiness in Brazil and Mexico. We implemented two survey experiments with approximately 2,300 respondents each, using a modified “trust game” to measure the effects of polarizing social media messages on two dimensions: trust (the belief that others will fulfill their pledges) and trustworthiness (fulfilling the pledges made to others). Among users exposed to polarizing partisan messages, findings show a statistically significant decline in trust (i.e. we perceive others will not keep their promises) and a null effect on trustworthiness (i.e. we keep the promises made to others). The decline in trust is larger if respondents actively “like,” “share,” or “comment” on the message. These findings underscore the role of active engagement with polarizing social media content as a mediator in diminishing trust.