A child waves an American flag during a Fourth of July celebration with frontline workers and military families, Sunday, July 4, 2021, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West)
America is increasingly divided, politicians and social media say, but a new report digs beneath the surface of society to reveal what may be a “big lie.”
According to Axios‘ Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, most Americans “are too busy for social media, too normal for politics, too rational to tweet. They work, raise kids, coach Little League, go to a house of worship, mow their neighbor’s lawn — and never post a word about any of it.”
Those Americans are the silent majority, Axios says.
“Most Americans are patriotic, hardworking, neighbor-helping, America-loving, money-giving people who don’t pop off on social media or plot for power,” they write. “The hidden truth: Most people agree on most things, most of the time. And the data validates this, time and time again.”
VandeHei and Allen point the finger at “the terminally online news junkies,” and say that they are the ones “who are detached from the actual reality.”
To prove their point, they note that “four out of five Americans don’t use X, and therefore don’t see what you see.”
“Pew Research Center found last year that only 21% of U.S. adults use X, and just 10% visit it daily. The loudest platform in politics reaches barely one in five Americans.”
Perhaps even more surprising, they say: “Did you know that during most hours of most prime-time nights, less than 1% of the country watches Fox News, CNN or MS NOW, combined?”
“Maybe,” they suggest, “it’s the very people on these platforms who are the crazy ones,” and “maybe, most people are simply normal, sane, real.”
Further making their case, they point out that Americans gave $592.5 billion to charity in 2024, more than 75 million Americans volunteer each year, three out of four Americans “gave money to a religious or other nonprofit organization in the past year, and 63% volunteered their time.”
VandeHei and Allen conclude by saying, “The next time your screen tells you America is broken, close it. Walk outside. Talk to your neighbor. Coach the team. Go to the town meeting. That’s the real America — and it’s a hell of a lot better than the one being manufactured for clicks, clout and cash.”
