Young Americans say they believe nearly half of the news shared on Facebook is false and President Donald Trump tweets too much.

They also want to help unite America but find public service unappealing.

Those are among the findings from recent interviews with 2,600 young Americans -- age 18 - 29 -- by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics in Massachusetts.

The poll, released Tuesday, found 81 percent of young people questioned nationwide by Harvard use Facebook.

But most consider a lot of the news on Facebook to be “untrue.”

Earlier this month, Facebook said it is removing accounts of people who send out “fake news” stories.

The poll also found that 68 percent of young people say they believe President Trump tweets too much.

Only 11 percent say his tweets are “appropriate.”

In the 2016 presidential election, only half of 18- to 29-year-olds voted, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.

But 74 percent of young people polled by Harvard say voting is one of the best ways to produce change.

Only 1-in-4 young Americans say that public service work is appealing. Public service typically means working for the federal government in a job or on a project.

Rhea Malik is a Harvard University senior who worked on the poll. She said it might be that fewer students find public service appealing because they don't trust America's elected officials.



Another finding by Harvard researchers is that nearly 60 percent of young Americans want to do what they can to help unite America and not further divide it.

On Monday, former President Barack Obama said because of social media, young people read and listen to only those who agree with them. That, he said, divides America and makes it more difficult for leaders to govern.

Other poll results showed a conflict in attitude about law and order.

Many young people have protested against the use of deadly force by police against African-Americans and other minorities.

But nearly half of young Americans said “empowering” law enforcement that ending the “anti-police atmosphere” will “make America better"

Nearly half of young people told Harvard that temporarily banning visas from Muslim-majority nations would make America worse.

That compares to 1-in-4 young people who say that such a policy would make America better.

President Trump has issued two orders temporarily banning travel from some Muslim majority nations. Both were blocked by federal judges.

On trade, three out of five young Americans say they agree with Trump’s plan to end unfair trade practices with other nations.

Ten percent of young people gave the new president an A, the top grade, for his job performance in his first 100 days in office.

Forty-one percent of young Americans gave the new president an F, a failing grade.

The poll found young voters who call themselves Republican have more close relationships with gun owners, police officers and military veterans than Democrats.



Young people who call themselves Democrats have more close relationships with people who are LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or questioning their sexuality) and with Muslims than Republicans.

John Della Volpe is polling director at Harvard’s Institute of Politics. He is happy that nearly 60 percent of young people told Harvard researchers that they want to help unite the country.

"While we spend a lot of time talking about what divides us, younger millennials are seeking leaders who will unite us," he said. That is “both good government and good politics.”

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The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)