In April 2026, Galvanize Action explored the characteristics of content that ideologically-moderate women enjoy and engage with on social media.

KEY FINDINGS

• Entertainment is the top factor in whether ideologically-moderate women consider a piece of content to be “good” or “worth it.” For content to be entertaining to this audience, it should come from a creator with an appealing personality and have an “honest and unfiltered tone.”
• Moderate women are open to heavier topics or content that challenges their existing beliefs if that content is presented in a direct and honest way, includes clear and practical takeaways, comes from a trustworthy host, acknowledges opposing viewpoints, and leaves room for the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
• The most important driver of return behavior among women in this audience is that the content covers topics that they find interesting. Other factors like a familiar host, emotional payoff, and length carry less weight.
• Ideologically-moderate women report that when a piece of content really sticks with them, they will often save it or send it to someone. However, they less frequently report thinking about it later or talking about it with someone.
• Overwhelmingly, moderate women report discovering new accounts or creators they end up liking when the content’s topic catches their attention.
• For content aimed at ideologically-moderate women, honesty and authenticity drive entertainment and engagement. To be considered “entertaining,” content needs to be fun to watch and delivered by a personality with an honest, unfiltered tone. However, to turn one watch into multiple watches or a follow, the content needs to cover topics the audience actually cares about. Topic relevance is the primary discovery mechanism and the primary driver of return behavior. When content tackles heavy or challenging ideas, this audience responds best to directness, practical takeaways, and a trustworthy host. They’re also more likely to save or forward that content than to reflect on it or openly discuss it with someone else.

QUESTIONNAIRE

QUESTION #1 | EXPERIENCE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

How well would you say the following statements describe your experience with social media?

	Not at all	A little bit	Moderately	Quite a bit	Extremely
I mainly use social media to keep up with people or accounts I already follow	10%	17%	26%	32%	15%
I scroll when I am bored	11%	25%	22%	24%	17%
I enjoy discovering new content when I scroll	5%	26%	27%	26%	15%
I scroll to relax or unwind	11%	24%	25%	27%	12%
I worry that I use social media too much	44%	23%	17%	10%	5%

% who said “quite a bit” or “extremely”
	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
I mainly use social media to keep up with people or accounts I already follow	48%	48%	43%	49%
I scroll when I am bored	60%	48%	34%	19%
I enjoy discovering new content when I scroll	58%	46%	34%	27%
I scroll to relax or unwind	56%	41%	36%	21%
I worry that I use social media too much	29%	16%	13%	4%

QUESTION #2 | INCREASE CREATOR TRUST

How much does each of the following increase your trust in a content creator?

	Not at all	A little	Somewhat	Quite a bit	A great deal
They are consistent in their tone and values over time	6%	14%	32%	30%	18%
Their personality feels genuine rather than performed	9%	13%	29%	26%	22%
They are transparent about who they are and their background	9%	14%	27%	29%	20%
They acknowledge when they’re wrong or don’t know something	8%	14%	26%	26%	25%
They engage with their audience respectfully	5%	12%	28%	32%	23%

% who said “quite a bit” or “a great deal”
	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
They are consistent in their tone and values over time	58%	51%	42%	38%
Their personality feels genuine rather than performed	57%	53%	44%	38%
They are transparent about who they are and their background	54%	53%	46%	44%
They acknowledge when they’re wrong or don’t know something	53%	55%	50%	49%
They engage with their audience respectfully	62%	57%	49%	49%

QUESTION #3 | DECREASE CREATOR TRUST

How much does each of the following decrease your trust in a content creator?

	Not at all	A little	Somewhat	Quite a bit	A great deal
Avoiding criticism or difficult questions	7%	11%	27%	28%	26%
Contradicting things they’ve said before	5%	9%	23%	28%	35%
Misleading titles, thumbnails, or previews	5%	10%	21%	24%	40%
Their persona feels calculated or inauthentic	4%	11%	20%	28%	36%
Exaggerating or sensationalizing for attention	4%	8%	18%	27%	42%

% who said “quite a bit” or “a great deal”
	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
Avoiding criticism or difficult questions	49%	49%	58%	65%
Contradicting things they’ve said before	58%	58%	65%	72%
Misleading titles, thumbnails, or previews	49%	62%	69%	75%
Their persona feels calculated or inauthentic	58%	60%	68%	75%
Exaggerating or sensationalizing for attention	59%	64%	74%	82%

QUESTION #4 | MAKING CONTENT ENTERTAINING

How important are each of the following in making content feel entertaining to you?

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Extremely important
It makes me feel something	8%	30%	43%	19%
It’s relevant to my life	10%	24%	41%	26%
I want to know what happens next	7%	25%	45%	22%
It helps me relax or unwind	7%	22%	44%	28%
It makes me laugh	6%	21%	45%	28%
I learn something useful	5%	22%	43%	30%
I like the people or personalities in it	6%	20%	42%	33%
The tone or style feels right to me	4%	19%	50%	27%

QUESTION #5 | ENTERTAINING TONE

Which of the following best describes the tone of content you find most entertaining? Select up to 2.

Honest and unfiltered	44%
Warm and relatable	37%
Thoughtful and sincere	35%
Light and playful	31%
Calm and comforting	23%
Fast-paced and energizing	12%

	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
Light and playful	32%	34%	31%	25%
Warm and relatable	37%	35%	37%	42%
Calm and comforting	31%	24%	18%	19%
Fast-paced and energizing	14%	17%	9%	5%
Honest and unfiltered	42%	43%	45%	43%
Thoughtful and sincere	30%	31%	38%	45%

QUESTION #6 | WORTHWHILE CONTENT

When you say a piece of content was “good” or “worth it,” what do you usually mean? Please choose the option that best describes your thoughts.

It entertained me	28%
It stayed with me after I saw it	20%
It helped me in some way	18%
It gave me a new perspective	17%
It made me feel better about something	11%
It made me feel understood	6%

	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
It entertained me	36%	30%	26%	20%
It gave me a new perspective	12%	19%	17%	20%
It helped me in some way	16%	18%	16%	20%
It made me feel better about something	8%	8%	15%	12%
It made me feel understood	9%	9%	4%	2%
It stayed with me after I saw it	19%	16%	22%	27%

QUESTION #7 | FEELINGS ABOUT CONTENT THAT CHALLENGES BELIEFS

How do you generally feel about content that challenges your existing beliefs or ways of thinking?

I actively avoid it	5%
I usually disengage from it	9%
It depends on how it’s presented	54%
I’m open to it when I come across it	27%
I actively seek it out	6%

QUESTION #8 | HEAVY TOPICS

How important is each of the following in keeping you engaged with content that touches on meaningful or heavier topics?

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Extremely important
Humor	4%	24%	45%	27%
Personal stories or real examples	4%	24%	47%	26%
A hopeful tone	4%	23%	51%	22%
A calm tone	3%	22%	47%	29%
A relatable host or voice	3%	21%	48%	28%
Clear, practical takeaways	3%	18%	45%	34%
Honest, direct conversation	2%	10%	37%	51%

QUESTION #9 | FORMATS FOR CHALLENGING CONTENT

Which of the following formats makes it easiest for you to engage with emotionally charged or challenging ideas? Select up to 3.

A story about someone’s experience	63%
A short personal video	43%
A conversation between two people	42%
A short written piece	29%
Advice or Q&A style content	28%
A longer interview or discussion	23%

	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
A short personal video	46%	46%	43%	35%
A conversation between two people	48%	38%	40%	42%
Advice or Q&A style content	37%	28%	23%	28%
A story about someone’s experience	54%	61%	73%	64%
A short written piece	23%	26%	28%	42%
A longer interview or discussion	30%	22%	22%	18%

QUESTION #10 | ENGAGED WITH CHALLENGING CONTENT

What makes you most likely to stay engaged with content that challenges your beliefs or ways of thinking?

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Extremely important
It uses personal stories rather than arguments	4%	21%	47%	27%
It’s framed around curiosity rather than persuasion	4%	19%	46%	32%
It presents the idea without feeling preachy	3%	18%	42%	37%
It moves at a pace that gives me time to process	2%	18%	46%	34%
It acknowledges other viewpoints	3%	14%	39%	45%
It leaves room for me to draw my own conclusions	3%	14%	41%	43%
The host feels trustworthy	1%	11%	40%	48%

QUESTION #11 | CONTENT HAS AN AGENDA

What most often makes you feel like a piece of content has an agenda?

It feels like they’re pushing something too hard	25%
It presents only one side	24%
It feels scripted or rehearsed	20%
The language feels manipulative or overblown	19%
It avoids obvious counterpoints	12%

QUESTION #12 | POLARIZING CONTENT

When you avoid content that feels polarizing, what is usually the reason?

It feels like it’s trying to provoke rather than inform	35%
It feels preachy or one-sided	25%
The person doesn’t seem credible on the topic	18%
I don’t want that type of content in my feed	13%
I don’t agree with the perspective	9%

QUESTION #13 | RETURN IMPORTANCE

How important are each of the following in making you return to the same content over time?

	Not at all important	Slightly important	Somewhat important	Extremely important
Familiar host or voice	11%	29%	42%	18%
Reliable emotional payoff	8%	30%	43%	19%
Short length	8%	30%	43%	19%
Strong storytelling	3%	27%	42%	27%
Feeling personally understood	6%	24%	44%	26%
Consistent tone	5%	22%	49%	25%
Practical usefulness	4%	20%	45%	31%
Interesting topics	2%	10%	33%	55%

QUESTION #14 | RETURN LIKELIHOOD

How likely are you to return to a recurring content series if it consistently leaves you feeling…

	% who said “extremely likely”
More informed	46%
More entertained	40%
More hopeful	34%
More relaxed	33%
More understood	32%
More connected	32%
More capable of handling life	31%

	% who said “extremely likely”
	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
More relaxed	35%	39%	33%	23%
More understood	36%	35%	31%	25%
More hopeful	37%	35%	36%	29%
More informed	38%	50%	47%	47%
More connected	36%	37%	31%	21%
More capable of handling life	33%	36%	32%	22%
More entertained	39%	45%	42%	31%

QUESTION #15 | REASONS TO STOP RETURNING

Which of the following are the most common reasons you stop returning to a content source you otherwise enjoyed? Select up to 3.

It becomes repetitive or stops being useful	60%
I lose trust in the person or brand	46%
It stops feeling relevant	44%
The tone starts to bother me	34%
It feels too shallow	32%
It starts to feel like too much effort or too heavy	28%

QUESTION #16 | ENGAGEMENT WITH CONTENT THAT RESONATES

When content resonates with you, which of the following are you most likely to do?

Engage publicly (commenting, sharing to my feed)	13%
Engage privately (saving, sending directly to someone)	24%
Both equally	36%
Usually neither	28%

	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
Engage publicly (commenting, sharing to my feed)	20%	14%	9%	7%
Engage privately (saving, sending directly to someone)	31%	21%	23%	19%
Both equally	40%	46%	32%	19%
Usually neither	8%	18%	36%	55%

QUESTION #17 | PRIVATE SHARING

When you share content privately with someone, what is it, usually? Select up to 3.

Something funny	56%
Something I think someone else needs to see	45%
Something that feels relatable or says what I’ve been feeling	39%
Helpful advice	36%
Something emotionally meaningful	33%
Something that would start a good conversation	20%

	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
Something funny	56%	57%	57%	56%
Helpful advice	30%	38%	34%	42%
Something that feels relatable or says what I’ve been feeling	45%	38%	36%	36%
Something emotionally meaningful	36%	35%	32%	26%
Something that would start a good conversation	27%	20%	18%	15%
Something I think someone else needs to see	44%	40%	50%	49%

QUESTION #18 | ENGAGEMENT WITH CONTENT THAT STICKS

When a piece of content really sticks with you, what do you most often do? Select up to 3.

I watch or read all the way through	42%
I save it	40%
I send it to someone	37%
I come back to it again	30%
I follow for more	29%
I think about it later	29%
I talk about it with someone	29%

QUESTION #19 | WANT TO SEE MORE

When you want to see more content from a creator you like, what do you usually do? Select all that apply.

Follow or subscribe to their account	52%
Go directly to their profile to watch more	50%
Like or comment so the algorithm surfaces them again	42%

QUESTION #20 | DISCOVERY METHODS

How often do you discover new accounts or creators you end up liking through each of the following?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very often
A friend sends it to me	8%	24%	46%	17%	5%
I like the look of the host	12%	28%	37%	17%	6%
I see it shared by someone I already follow	11%	20%	43%	20%	7%
It appears in my feed repeatedly	6%	17%	43%	28%	6%
One post really grabs me	4%	14%	48%	25%	9%
The comments make it look interesting	7%	17%	40%	26%	10%
I like the personality of the host	4%	11%	44%	29%	12%
The topic catches my attention	2%	4%	33%	39%	21%

	% who said “very often” or “often”
	Age Group
	18-34	35-54	55-69	70+
A friend sends it to me	37%	28%	12%	8%
It appears in my feed repeatedly	52%	41%	25%	13%
One post really grabs me	47%	43%	29%	13%
I like the personality of the host	50%	47%	34%	31%
I like the look of the host	39%	26%	16%	8%
The topic catches my attention	58%	67%	60%	52%
The comments make it look interesting	43%	40%	31%	31%
I see it shared by someone I already follow	36%	35%	18%	15%

QUESTION #21 | DIVISIVE TOPICS

For each of the following topics, how divided do you think Republicans and Democrats are?

	Not at all divided	Slightly divided	Somewhat divided	Very divided	Completely divided
Regulating seed oils in food products	15%	20%	43%	15%	7%
Restricting phone use in schools	16%	26%	36%	14%	8%
Requiring cleaner ingredient labels on packaged foods	16%	22%	40%	17%	6%
Removing processed foods from school lunches	14%	24%	35%	17%	10%
Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.	15%	18%	36%	20%	10%
Regulating social media access for children	13%	22%	35%	21%	9%
Reducing pesticide use in commercial agriculture	10%	18%	40%	20%	11%
Removing fluoride from public water supplies	8%	19%	37%	23%	13%
Regulating artificial intelligence (AI)	10%	16%	38%	24%	13%
Regulating psychiatric medications for children	7%	16%	38%	26%	14%
Regulating big tech companies	6%	15%	38%	27%	14%
Removing vaccine mandates for school enrollment	6%	12%	27%	33%	22%

QUESTION #22 | SUPPORT FOR DIVISIVE TOPICS

What is your personal view on each of the following topics?

	Strongly support	Somewhat support	Neither support nor oppose	Somewhat oppose	Strongly oppose
Regulating seed oils in food products	14%	26%	50%	7%	3%
Restricting phone use in schools	41%	27%	19%	9%	3%
Requiring cleaner ingredient labels on packaged foods	39%	34%	20%	6%	1%
Removing processed foods from school lunches	39%	31%	21%	7%	2%
Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.	49%	24%	20%	4%	3%
Regulating social media access for children	48%	28%	16%	5%	3%
Reducing pesticide use in commercial agriculture	36%	29%	24%	8%	3%
Removing fluoride from public water supplies	17%	18%	32%	17%	17%
Regulating artificial intelligence (AI)	44%	27%	18%	7%	4%
Regulating psychiatric medications for children	30%	30%	28%	8%	4%
Regulating big tech companies	37%	29%	24%	7%	2%
Removing vaccine mandates for school enrollment	12%	12%	21%	18%	38%

METHODOLOGY

• Audience: Ideologically-Moderate US Women
• Sample size: 1,200
• Dates in field: April 14, 2026