US study finds: Most young people oppose antisemitism - but there is a serious problem

A study by the ADL and Boundless among 7,499 Americans found that reminding people that most of the public opposes antisemitism improves identification and reporting of offensive content. However, 22%-29% of young people did not identify classic antisemitic posts, and 32%-37% did not identify contemporary posts related to Israel.

A large-scale study by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Boundless, involving 7,499 Americans aged 18 to 44, found that reminding people that most of the US public opposes antisemitism significantly improves the ability to identify antisemitic content on social media and the willingness to report it. The study was conducted between July 9 and 17, 2026, and participants were exposed to one of six different messages or no message at all, and then asked to evaluate real antisemitic posts. Alongside the encouraging data, the study reveals a significant difficulty in identifying antisemitism: among those not exposed to guidance messages, 22% to 29% did not identify classic antisemitic posts, and 32% to 37% did not identify contemporary posts using language related to Israel. Generational differences were also found: Millennials showed higher initial identification ability than Gen Z, but among Gen Z who identified the content, there was a higher willingness to report it (77% vs. 68%). The ADL and Boundless recommend focusing educational efforts on explaining contemporary forms of antisemitism, including discourse about Israel and Zionism, and continuing to embed messages emphasizing social opposition to hatred.