ADL-Boundless study finds simple messaging aids American in identifying online antisemitism

A new study by the ADL and Boundless found that a brief social norming message, reminding young Americans that hatred of Jews is broadly rejected, improved their ability to recognize and report online antisemitism by about 6 percent. The study surveyed 7,499 Americans aged 18-44 and tested six interventions, with only the social norming message yielding significant results.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center for Antisemitism Research and the educational organization Boundless released a study on Thursday showing that a brief message reminding young Americans that hatred of Jews is broadly rejected can significantly improve their ability to recognize and report online antisemitism. The study, titled 'Bridging the Gap: What Young Americans Miss About Online Antisemitism,' surveyed 7,499 Americans aged 18 to 44 nationwide between July 9 and July 17. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of six short educational messages or no message before evaluating real examples of social media posts. The findings showed that many young adults struggle to identify antisemitic content, with 22-29 percent of the control group failing to recognize classical antisemitic posts, and 32-37 percent failing to recognize contemporary antisemitism expressed through hostile language about Israel and Zionism. The social norming message, which emphasized that 82 percent of Americans want online antisemitic hate speech removed and 77 percent want government action, yielded statistically significant improvements: a 6.1 percent increase in recognizing contemporary nonpartisan antisemitic posts and a 5.6 percent increase in reporting them. The study also identified generational differences, with Millennials somewhat better at spotting posts but Gen Z more likely to report them. The report recommends prioritizing recognition training, focusing on contemporary antisemitism, and investing in scalable social norming campaigns.