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A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of Americans get their news from social media. This is a huge shift in the way people consume information, and it has profound implications for the future of our democracy.
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Introduction
In recent years, social media has become an increasingly popular source of news and information. A Pew Research Center study found that 62% of U.S. adults get their news from social media, and 18% do so often.
The study also found that Facebook is the most popular social media platform for news, with 43% of adults saying they get their news from the site. Twitter (12%), LinkedIn (7%), Instagram (4%) and Snapchat (3%) are also popular sources of news.
When it comes to how people access social media, the majority of adults (69%) say they use it on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, while 30% use a desktop or laptop computer.
Social Media as a News Source
According to a recent study, 62% of Americans get their news from social media. This is a significant increase from the 47% who said they got their news from social media in 2013. The study also found that Facebook is the most popular social media platform for news, with 18% of Americans saying they get their news from Facebook.
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms and it is also a source of news for many people. A recent study found that 62% of American adults get at least some of their news from social media, and 18% get most of their news from social media.1
The study found that Facebook is the most popular social media platform for news, with 47% of American adults getting news from Facebook. This is followed by YouTube (24%), Twitter (7%), and LinkedIn (3%).1
When it comes to getting news from social media, Facebook is used most often by older adults, with 54% of those aged 65 and older getting news from the platform. This is followed by younger adults aged 18-29 (50%) and 30-49 (48%).1
The study found that there are some differences in the way that Democrats and Republicans get their news from social media. For example, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to get their news from Facebook (50% vs. 44%), while Republicans are more likely to get their news from Twitter (10% vs. 4%).1
Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to share short updates or “tweets” of no more than 280 characters. Although tweets can be about anything, users often share newsworthy content such as links to articles, videos, or personal thoughts on current events.
Twitter has become an important source of news for many people, especially during breaking news events when traditional news outlets may not have updated information yet. In fact, a study by the Pew Research Center found that 62% of U.S. adults say they get news from social media, and 18% say they specifically get news from Twitter.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to using Twitter as a news source. On the positive side, Twitter allows users to quickly and easily find out what is happening in the world as it happens. The platform also gives people access to a variety of perspectives on current events, which can help them better understand the issues involved.
However, there are also some potential downsides to getting news from Twitter. Because tweets are so short, they often lack context or important background information. In addition, it can be difficult to determine whether the information in a tweet is accurate or reliable. For these reasons, it’s important to fact-check any information you see on Twitter before you share it with others.
LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented social networking service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Founded on December 28, 2002, and launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs.
Other News Sources
Out of the 2.38 billion monthly active Facebook users, it’s estimated that 44% of American adults get their news from social media. That’s a significant portion of the population, but it’s still less than half. So, where do the other people get their news? Let’s take a look at some other popular news sources.
Television
Television continues to be the leading source of news for Americans, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.
About four-in-ten U.S. adults (38%) say they frequently get news from television, nearly three times the number who say they often get news from digital sources. And while young adults are more likely than older adults to turn to digital sources, even young people continue to heavily rely on TV: 29% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they often get news from television, compared with just 14% who often get news from digital sources.
News habits vary widely by race and ethnicity: 50% of Hispanics and 47% of blacks say they frequently get news from television, compared with just 31% of whites. TV is also the most popular news source among college graduates (43%), while those with some college experience are more likely than both groups to turn first to digital sources (24% vs. 18% and 15%, respectively).
Newspapers
Though television is the most common way people get their news, newspapers are a close second. In fact, 47% of Americans say they get at least some of their news from print newspapers, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year.
That figure includes 16% who say they get most of their news from print newspapers, and 31% who say they get some news from them. Just over half of U.S. adults (53%) say they get no news at all from print newspapers.
The role of print newspapers in the news landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. In 2006, when Pew Research Center first asked the question, 70% of Americans said they got at least some news from print newspapers, and 38% said they got most of their news from them.
Today, people ages 50 and older are about as likely as those younger than 50 to say they get some news from print newspapers (49% vs. 46%). But just 12% of those 50 and older say they get most of their news from print newspapers, compared with 20% in 2006. Today, fully 87% of adults ages 50 and older say they get no news at all from print newspapers.
Conclusion
A study by the Pew Research Center found that 62 percent of U.S. adults get their news from social media. Of that group, Facebook is the clear leader, with 47 percent of adults saying they get news from the site. Twitter is a distant second at 20 percent, followed by YouTube at 13 percent.
