Book bans are increasing, but online activity about book bans has sharply declined

Social media users expressed negativity and fear during “Banned Books Week 2025,” yet there has been a significant decrease in online activity about book bans over the last two years.

A study from Montclair State University faculty in the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the College of Communication and Media and the Department of English examined online sentiment and activity related to book bans from 2023 to 2025.  This project was intended to examine social media discourse in relation to the American Library Association’s annual “Banned Books Week” event, which this year took place on Oct. 5-11.

Highlights from the study include:

• 50% reduction in search activity about banned books from 2023 to 2025
• 55% of posts about book banning expressed negative emotion (e.g., fear, disgust, anger, and sadness)
• Concerns about censorship, LGBTQ+ rights, and government overreach were major themes in the 70,000 social media posts studied from X, Reddit, Tumblr, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook from 38,000 unique authors
• 10,046 bans, encompassing 4,231 unique titles across 29 states and 220 districts (PEN America) contributed to these social media reactions

“Censorship doesn’t just limit what children can read—it directly affects the people who write those books and depend on sharing their work,” said Dr. Laura Nicosia, Interim Director of the Interdisciplinary School for Social Transformation and Professor of English at Montclair State University.

“The sentiment on social media surrounding 2025 Banned Books Week is give times more negative than positive” said Dr. Jin-A Choi, who is the Director of Data Analytics for the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication and an Assistant Professor of Advertising.

“The rise in book bans has sparked a movement among advocates to stand against censorship, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices in literature,” said Dr. Yi Luo, Associate Professor of Communication at Montclair State University.

“It’s clear there is much concern about book banning, but the reduced activity over the last two years deserves greater scrutiny from researchers and free speech advocates,” said Dr. Bond Benton, Professor of Communication at Montclair State University.

The full study, which can be found here, was conducted by Dr. Jin-A Choi, Dr. Yi Luo, Dr. Bond Benton and Dr. Laura Nicosia.

Media Contact: Keith Green at greenk@montclair.edu or 973-655-3701

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About the College of Communication and Media: The College of Communication and Media (CCOM) offers a range of dynamic programs to a talented and diverse student population of over 2,000. Offering degrees in advertising, animation and visual effects, communication and media studies, film and television, journalism and digital media, social media and public relations, sports communication and an online, asynchronous MA devoted to strategic communication and media, the College prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. Founded in 2012 and housed in world-class, state-of-the-art facilities just 12 miles from New York City, the College is the only program in the country that offers the following opportunities for students: a radio station (WMSC), newspaper (The Montclarion), strategic communications agency (Hawk Communications), sports network (Red Hawk Sports Network) streaming platform (Hawk+), digital newsroom (News Lab) and studio, and a social media listening center (Joetta DiBella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication). The College also has a Career Services team dedicated to preparing students for the internship and job search process. Student projects and programs have recently received national recognition from PRSSA’s Bateman Competition, an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and College Television Awards (“Student Emmy” awards) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The College is also home to the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism and media. Through $7.1M in grants awarded over the last five years, the Center focuses on collaboration in journalism, media equity, media coaching and training, civic science and research. The Center is also home to the NJ Civic Information Consortium, the largest funder of media and journalism in  New Jersey, granting more than $10M over the last five years to support independent local media, journalism and training initiatives.