Cell phones and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are playing an increasingly prominent role in how voters get political information and follow election news in America, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center.
Key Findings:
- 41% say that finding out about political news before other people do is a “major reason” why they follow political figures on social media. In 2010, just 22% said that this was a major reason.
- 35% say that feeling more personally connected to political candidates or groups is a “major reason” why they follow political figures on social media. This is unchanged from the 36% who cited this as a major factor in 2010.
- 26% say that getting more reliable information than what is available from traditional news organizations is a “major reason” why they follow political figures on social media. This is also statistically indistinguishable from the 21% who cited this as a major factor in 2010.
>
