If you've ever had the sneaking suspicion that liberals might be more active on social media than conservatives, you might be right: A recent study by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that 79% of liberals use social networking sites, while only 63% of conservatives do the same. The gap is less severe when comparing Democrats and Republicans, at 71% to 65%, respectively:
A possible reason for the difference? Age. 92% of those aged 18-29 reported using social networking, 73% of 30-49 year-olds said the same, and 57% of those aged 50-64 said so. Meanwhile, Obama's beating Romney 59% – 41% among likely voters younger than 30 according to a recent Gallup study.
Younger people are also more likely to use social media to engage with civic issues:
Other interesting finds? About a third, of social media users in the United States post their feelings about politics, another third of social media users promote political content on their networks, 35% have used social media to encourage others to votel, 28% have shared news stories about politics and 20% follow elected officials and candidates.
"Now that more than half of adults use social media, these technologies have worked their way into the rhythms of people's lives at many levels," said Lee Rainie, director of Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, in a statement about the study. "At the height of the campaign season, it is clear that most social media users, especially those who care about politics, are using the tools to debate others, stay in touch with candidates, flag political news stories and analysis that are important to them, and press their friends into action. We'll see the fruits of this neo-activism on Election Day."
For the study, Pew contacted 2,253 people 18 and older during the summer of 2012. 85% of the respondents were internet users.
Do Pew's results match up with your own anecdotal findings on social media? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pagadesign
Mashable explores the trends changing politics in 2012 and beyond in Politics Transformed: The High Tech Battle for Your Vote, an in-depth look at how digital media is reshaping democracy.
Read a few of the top posts from the series:
- Election 2040: The First President for Digital Natives
- Voter Data: What the Candidates Know About You
- How to Market the Next President
- Gaffesplosion: The Unrelenting Hype of Modern Politics
- How Social Media Can Safeguard Your Vote
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