The Future of the First Amendment: Young Adults

Washington, DC, October 13, 2026 – Please visit http://kf.org for the full report.

The latest Knight Foundation-Ipsos Future of the First Amendment study, which builds on research among college students dating back to 2016 and now examines attitudes among 18- to 29-year-olds, shows that young adults largely view First Amendment rights as important. However, despite the perceived importance of those rights, most young adults do not view these rights as secure. Notably, compared to the most recent survey in 2024, there is a decline in the number of college students ages 18-24 who view freedom of speech and other First Amendment rights as secure in our society today.

This report delves into the dynamic and multifaceted issues surrounding free expression on campuses, in the workplace and in our society as a whole. Most young adults believe speech can be as damaging as physical violence, and some — particularly Black and Hispanic young adults — feel they have a hard time exercising their free speech rights without consequence. However, when it comes to the campus environment, fewer students report feeling uncomfortable due to speech compared with two years ago.

The top reason young adults hold back opinions is simply to keep personal views private. This survey indicates signs that some young people may not be actively expressing themselves online or are choosing to be more intentional about speech. About 1 in 4 cite fear of negative consequences like being “canceled” when around classmates, professors or colleagues. Yet few take action beyond distancing themselves from others or calling out inappropriate comments. Notably, nearly two-thirds have never faced repercussions for expressing their views, and when consequences do occur, being blocked or unfollowed on social media tops the list.

Amid our rapidly transforming technological landscape, young adults prioritize personal data privacy and do not believe that First Amendment protections should be extended to AI-generated content. When assessing AI’s uses and potential, young adults are more cautious, with few supporting unrestricted access to AI tools or the generation of content that could include offensive or biased material.

Navigating the complexities of free expression remains paramount for young people, who now stand at the crossroads of technological change and evolving societal expectations. This research underscores the essential need for dialogue and understanding about First Amendment rights — from the classroom, to the workforce, to online spaces.

To read about The Future of the First Amendment study among high school students, click here.

Methodology

This Ipsos poll was conducted March 23 – April 7, 2026, by Ipsos using the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®, on behalf of the Knight Foundation. This poll is based on a representative sample of 1,051 U.S. adults, ages 18 to 29. 

A supplemental sample of 493 additional current undergraduate college students age 18-24 was collected at the same time; this resulted in a total of 1,100 college students age 18-24 including 391 from the main sample of adults ages 18 and 29. To collect additional completes among 18- to 24-year-olds, an additional sample of 18- to 24-year-old KnowledgePanel members were selected for this study. KnowledgePanelists were also asked if another member of their household was 18 to 24 years old and, where eligible, a second member of the household completed the survey.

In previous years, the samples were as follows:

• 2024: 18- to 24-year-olds who are currently undergraduate college students (n=1,678)
• 2021: National survey of U.S. adults ages 18+, all trends limited to 18- to 29-year-olds (n=469); 18- to 24-year-olds who are current college students or enrolled in some post-high school education (n=1,023)
• 2019 (conducted by Gallup): Full-time undergraduate students (n=3,319)
• 2017 (conducted by Gallup): Full-time undergraduate students (n=3,014)
• 2016 (conducted by Gallup): Full-time undergraduate students (n=3,072)

The study was conducted in both English and Spanish. The data for the total sample of adults ages 18-29 were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, census region, metropolitan status, household income, and language. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS). The weighting categories were as follows:

• Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18-21, 22-24, 25-27, 28-29)
• Race-Ethnicity (White/Non-Hispanic, Black/Non-Hispanic, Other or 2+ Races/Non-Hispanic, Hispanic)
• Education (Less than High school, High school, Some College, Bachelor or higher)
• Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
• Metropolitan Status (Metro, Non-Metro)
• Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
• Language Dominance (English Dominant Hispanic, Bilingual Hispanic, or Spanish Dominant Hispanic, Non-Hispanic)

The data for the sample of current undergraduate college students ages 18-24 were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race/ethnicity, census region, metropolitan status, household income, and language. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS). The weighting categories were as follows:

• Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18-21, 22-24)
• Race-Ethnicity (White/Non-Hispanic, Black/Non-Hispanic, Other or 2+ Races/Non-Hispanic, Hispanic)
• Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
• Metropolitan Status (Metro, Non-Metro)
• Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
• Language Dominance (English Dominant Hispanic, Bilingual Hispanic, or Spanish Dominant Hispanic, Non-Hispanic)

The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of 18–29-year-olds. The margin of error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.06 for all 18–29-year-olds. For current undergraduate college students, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, and the design effect was 1.22. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.  

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