In August 2026, Galvanize Action surveyed ideologically moderate women to learn more about the content they are consuming online, related behaviors, and attitudes about social media.

KEY FINDINGS

• Wellness behavior among our audience of ideologically moderate white women is driven mainly by disease prevention and a sense of control over one’s health, not necessarily by distrust of mainstream medicine or social conformity.
• Awareness of “manosphere” or “red pill” content is more limited than agreement with the underlying narratives themselves, suggesting these ideas circulate more broadly than the labeled content does. Concern about the impact of manosphere content on women, men, and society broadly is high and fairly even, indicating they don’t necessarily see it as solely a “women’s issue” or a “men’s issue.”
• Attitudes toward nontraditional womanhood (not having kids, prioritizing career, “having it all”) are strongly endorsed by this audience.
• “Good news” or positive news accounts have the highest exposure and favorability of any political content type tested, consistent with prior findings that this audience prefers aesthetic, idealistic content over clickbait or raw political content.
• Most women take some active step to verify questionable content online (searching, cross-checking, checking the source), and relatively few turn to an AI chatbot to do it. But a full quarter of women surveyed say they do not take any active verification steps, and many form a judgment about what they saw without having fact-checked it.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Galvanize Action asked respondents how often they personally engage in a range of wellness-related behaviors, then asked what motivates them to pursue wellness or health practices in the first place.

The most common behaviors are the more mainstream/medically-endorsed ones: taking vitamins or supplements (73% report doing so always or often) and getting routine checkups (67% always or often). Behaviors associated with alternative or holistic wellness are far less common: using essential oils in addition to conventional medicine (19%), watching wellness/holistic-health content online (16%), using essential oils instead of conventional medicine (15%), and seeing a naturopath or holistic practitioner (6%).

Looking at the reasons moderate white women give for pursuing wellness or health practices, disease prevention (70% say this is a “major reason”) and feeling in control of their own health (64%) are the top drivers, followed by managing mental health (57%) and physical fitness/appearance (53%). Distrust of mainstream medicine (20%) and following friends or family (7%) are minor factors by comparison. 

These findings are a useful counterpoint to the 2025 Online Content Survey finding that this audience views alternative wellness content favorably and finds tradwife/alternative-wellness genres relatively trustworthy. It suggests that even when women engage with wellness content, most are probably not doing so entirely out of distrust in conventional medicine, but out of a more general health-protective mindset.

GENDER ROLES AND PRONATALISM

Moderate white women show strong agreement with statements affirming choice and nontraditional paths for women: 83% agree they don’t think less of a woman who chooses not to have kids, 68% agree a woman who prioritizes career over marriage or motherhood is just as admirable as one who doesn’t, 64% agree “having it all” is a realistic goal, and 61% admire women who unapologetically put themselves first.

The majority (70%) of women in this sample have children, with the rest equally split between those who don’t have children by choice (15%) and not necessarily by choice (15%).

Among those without children (n = 169), most report feeling secure in that choice: 75% are comfortable talking about it openly with friends or family, and 73% feel secure and at peace with not having children. That said, a meaningful minority report negative experiences: 37% sometimes feel judged by others for not having children, 32% feel like they don’t fit the image of what a woman “should” be, and 27% feel pressure from people around them or society to have children.

MANOSPHERE

Galvanize Action presented respondents with the following description of “manosphere” content, in case they were unaware of it: “Manosphere” or “red pill” content refers to commentary or motivational content about masculinity, dating advice, male fitness and lifestyle, or relationship dynamics between men and women, often from a perspective that is critical of women or feminism.

Just under half of respondents (49%) say this survey is the first time they’re hearing about “manosphere” or “red pill” content. Slightly more than a quarter (26%) have personally come across this type of content on social media, another 22% have heard about it without personally encountering it, and 9% say someone close to them has come across it.

In the Online Content Survey last year, Galvanize Action included “manosphere” as one of the content types, but referred to it as “men’s lifestyle” and described it in the following way: “Commentary or motivational content about masculinity, dating advice, male fitness and lifestyle, relationship dynamics between men and women.” In that survey, 56% of respondents reported exposure to that kind of content on their algorithms. While these are two different samples roughly a year apart, the gap between that figure and the 35% who recognize “manosphere” as a named phenomenon here could suggest that women in our audience are consuming this content, or content adjacent to it, without identifying it as part of a distinct genre or movement.

Concern about the impact of this content is high: 65% are somewhat or strongly concerned about its impact on women and girls they care about, 64% are concerned about its impact on society more broadly, and 61% are concerned about its impact on men and boys they care about. The relative evenness of these numbers suggests this isn’t perceived narrowly as either a “women’s issue” or a “men’s issue.”

Galvanize Action also tested agreement with specific manosphere-adjacent narratives directly and found that agreement ranges from around 30% to 45%. Because agreement with these statements runs higher than personal awareness of manosphere content, these ideas appear to have spread into the broader culture beyond their specific content ecosystem.

EXPOSURE TO POLITICAL CONTENT

We asked moderate women how often they’re exposed to various types of political content and how favorable they feel toward each. “Good news” or positive news accounts stand out clearly, with 83% exposure and 71% favorability among those exposed. This is the highest favorability of any category tested, even though exposure is comparable to mainstream news clips (82% exposure, 43% favorability). Every other category clusters in the 60-70% exposure range with favorability between roughly 28% and 45%.

This lines up with Galvanize Action’s previous findings that this audience prefers aesthetically pleasing, idealistic video content over content that is too realistic or overtly “clickbaity.” This audience prefers a “positive” tone in general, and positive-framed political/news content outperforms every other political content type we tested on favorability, even against content with comparable exposure.

AI AND MISINFORMATION

When ideologically moderate white women aren’t sure whether something they’ve seen online is true, the most common responses are active verification steps: searching the claim themselves (51%), checking whether other news sources report the same thing (40%), and checking the original source or link (39%). Passive responses are less common: 27% look at the comments, 18% ask a friend or family member, 16% ask an AI chatbot. 

Additionally, 15% say they trust their own judgment without checking further, and 10% say they don’t do anything and just move on. While the rest of the question is “select all that apply” (meaning someone can choose multiple answers), these two responses are exclusive (meaning if someone said “they don’t do anything and move on,” that’s the only option they picked). So, combining the last two categories, a quarter of our audience (25%) takes no active verification step when they are uncertain about something they’ve seen online, and many form a judgment about it without having fact checked it.

Trust in AI chatbots to give accurate, unbiased information varies substantially by topic. Nearly half (47%) find chatbots mostly or extremely trustworthy for general facts or trivia. Trust drops for more consequential or subjective domains: health/medical information (31%), political news and current events (27%), financial advice (26%), and personal advice (24%). This tracks with the July 2026 survey finding that our audience uses AI chatbots most for searching information and least for emotional support or companionship.

Respondents say tech and social media companies are responsible for a range of things: 59% say companies are very or completely responsible for protecting users’ personal data and privacy, 54% for protecting children and minors from harmful content, 52% for removing harmful or false content, 49% for being transparent about how algorithms work, and 47% for preventing the spread of misinformation.

Support for specific accountability policies is considerably higher than these responsibility ratings across the board: 85% support requiring companies to label AI-generated content, 85% support limiting how much personal data companies can collect and sell, 84% support age verification for social media accounts, 80% support holding companies legally responsible for content that spreads misinformation, and 79% support requiring companies to explain how their algorithms decide what to show users. 

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QUESTIONNAIRE

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

QUESTION #1
How often do you personally do each of the following?

	Always	Often	Sometimes	Rarely	Never
Take vitamins or dietary supplements	51%	22%	14%	6%	7%
Get routine checkups or screenings recommended by a medical doctor	37%	30%	21%	8%	4%
Do yoga, pilates, or similar mind-body exercise	5%	18%	23%	18%	36%
Follow a specific diet or eating protocol (such as ‘clean eating,’ gluten-free, elimination diets, etc.)	6%	14%	24%	23%	34%
Use essential oils or other holistic remedies, in addition to conventional medicine	3%	16%	28%	14%	39%
Watch wellness or holistic-health content from influencers or accounts online, regardless of whether you follow the advice yourself	2%	14%	28%	18%	37%
Attend in-person fitness or wellness classes	5%	10%	17%	20%	47%
Use essential oils or other holistic remedies, instead of conventional medicine	3%	12%	23%	15%	48%
See a naturopath, holistic practitioner, or wellness coach	1%	5%	10%	16%	67%

QUESTION #2
How much is each of the following a reason why you personally pursue wellness or health practices?

	Major reason	Minor reason	Not a reason
To prevent or reduce my risk of disease	70%	25%	5%
To feel more in control of my own health	64%	30%	6%
To manage stress or improve my mental health	57%	33%	10%
To manage my physical fitness or appearance	53%	35%	12%
Because I don’t fully trust mainstream medicine to keep me healthy	20%	34%	47%
Because it’s something my friends or family do	7%	30%	63%

GENDER ROLES AND PRONATALISM

QUESTION #3
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
I don’t think less of a woman who chooses not to have kids	3%	3%	11%	18%	65%
A woman who prioritizes her career over marriage or motherhood is just as admirable as one who doesn’t	4%	6%	22%	27%	41%
‘Having it all’ — career and family — is a realistic goal, not a myth	5%	12%	18%	41%	23%
I admire women who unapologetically put themselves first	3%	10%	26%	35%	26%
Traditional ideas about womanhood don’t really apply to how I live my life	4%	14%	30%	32%	20%
Being a wife and/or mother is central to who I am as a woman	14%	15%	21%	29%	21%
It’s important to me to look and present myself in a traditionally feminine way	11%	14%	30%	31%	14%
If I could choose, I would rather stay home to raise children than work outside the home	16%	15%	27%	22%	21%
Cooking meals from scratch and running an efficient household are important markers of being a good woman	13%	19%	29%	25%	14%
I sometimes feel like I’m not living up to what a ‘good’ wife, mother, or woman should be	24%	19%	22%	24%	12%

QUESTION #4
Which of the following best describes you?

I have children	70%
I don’t have children, but not necessarily by choice (timing, circumstances, medical reasons, or other factors)	15%
I don’t have children, by choice	15%

QUESTION #5
To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following?

Among moderate white women who do not have children (n = 169)
	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
I’m comfortable talking about this openly with friends or family	5%	3%	17%	38%	37%
I feel secure and at peace with not having children	3%	9%	15%	29%	44%
I sometimes feel judged by others for not having children	24%	19%	19%	27%	10%
I feel like I don’t fit the image of what a woman ‘should’ be because I don’t have children	36%	16%	17%	23%	9%
I feel pressure from people around me, or society in general, to have children	34%	16%	23%	19%	8%

MANOSPHERE

QUESTION #6
Have you or someone you know ever come across “manosphere” or “red pill content” on social media?

“Manosphere” or “red pill” content refers to commentary or motivational content about masculinity, dating advice, male fitness and lifestyle, or relationship dynamics between men and women, often from a perspective that is critical of women or feminism.

This is my first time hearing about this type of content	49%
I have come across this type of content on social media	26%
I haven’t personally come across this type of content, but I’ve heard about it	22%
Someone close to me (partner, son, brother, friend, or other loved one) has come across this type of content on social media	9%

QUESTION #7
Thinking about “manosphere” or “red pill” content, how much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

“Manosphere” or “red pill” content refers to commentary or motivational content about masculinity, dating advice, male fitness and lifestyle, or relationship dynamics between men and women, often from a perspective that is critical of women or feminism.

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
I’m concerned about the impact of this type of content on women and girls I care about	5%	5%	25%	37%	28%
I’m concerned about the impact of this type of content on society more broadly	4%	6%	25%	38%	26%
I’m concerned about the impact of this type of content on men and boys I care about	7%	6%	27%	36%	25%

	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
Traditional masculinity is under attack in today’s society	13%	15%	26%	29%	16%
Men are unfairly blamed for a lot of problems in relationships and society	10%	17%	33%	30%	10%
It’s become harder to be a man today than it used to be	17%	17%	28%	27%	12%
Feminism has gone too far and now disadvantages men	23%	19%	29%	20%	10%

EXPOSURE TO POLITICAL CONTENT

QUESTION #8
When you use social media, how often do the following types of news or political content appear in your feed without you actively seeking them out? [Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Always]

For the types of news or political content you see, how favorable or unfavorable is your opinion of each? [Strongly favorable / Somewhat favorable / Neither favorable nor unfavorable / Somewhat unfavorable / Strongly unfavorable]

	% of sample exposed	% favorable among exposed
‘Good news’ or positive-news accounts	83%	71%
Clips or posts from mainstream news outlets (such as: CNN, Fox News, ABC News, or your local news station)	82%	43%
Accounts that repost raw video clips of politicians or officials speaking, with little added commentary	69%	34%
Political meme or image-based accounts	69%	36%
Political or social comedy/satire accounts that use humor to comment on politics or culture (such as: @cassiewilson_)	64%	45%
Commentary from political or cultural podcasters (such as: Joe Rogan, Candace Owens)	63%	33%
Politicians’ or elected officials’ own social media accounts	60%	28%
Independent ‘news-influencer’ accounts that break down current events in short videos (such as: Aaron Parnas, Nick Shirley)	58%	37%

AI AND MISINFORMATION

QUESTION #9
When you’re not sure whether something you’ve seen online is true, which of the following, if any, do you typically do? Select all that apply.

Search the claim myself online	51%
Check whether other news sources are reporting the same thing	40%
Check the original source or link	39%
Look at the comments to see what other people are saying	27%
Ask a friend or family member	18%
Ask an AI chatbot, like ChatGPT, to check it	16%
I trust my own judgment and don’t check further	15%
I don’t do anything — I just move on	10%

QUESTION #10
How much do you trust an AI chatbot (like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot) to give you accurate, unbiased information about each of the following?

	Not at all trustworthy	Slightly trustworthy	Mostly trustworthy	Extremely trustworthy
General facts or trivia	14%	39%	38%	9%
Health or medical information	22%	46%	25%	6%
Political news and current events	26%	47%	24%	3%
Financial advice	28%	47%	21%	5%
Personal advice (relationships, parenting, etc.)	39%	37%	19%	5%

QUESTION #11
How responsible do you think social media and tech companies are for each of the following?

	Not at all responsible	Slightly responsible	Moderately responsible	Very responsible	Completely responsible
Protecting users’ personal data and privacy	8%	14%	19%	24%	35%
Protecting children and minors from harmful content	10%	14%	20%	27%	27%
Removing harmful or false content from their platforms	12%	15%	21%	24%	28%
Being transparent about how their algorithms decide what content to show people	12%	16%	23%	25%	24%
Preventing the spread of misinformation	15%	19%	19%	26%	21%

QUESTION #12
How much would you support or oppose each of the following?

	Strongly oppose	Somewhat oppose	Neither support nor oppose	Somewhat support	Strongly support
Requiring companies to clearly label AI-generated content	2%	2%	11%	15%	70%
Limiting how much personal data companies can collect and sell	1%	5%	8%	17%	68%
Requiring age verification for social media accounts	1%	4%	11%	22%	62%
Holding companies legally responsible for content that spreads misinformation on their platforms	2%	5%	14%	27%	53%
Requiring companies to explain how their algorithms decide what content to show users	1%	4%	17%	29%	50%

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METHODOLOGY

• Audience: Ideologically Moderate US White Women
• Sample size: 569
• Dates in field: August 12, 2026