Brandon Bailey covers Google, Facebook and Yahoo for the San Jose Mercury News, reporting on the business and culture of the Internet.
Dems and Reps like social media
An estimated 60 percent of Americans now use social networking services like Facebook or Twitter. So it’s no surprise that a new Pew Research Center report finds Democrats and Republicans are both active on these sites. A survey found just a few differences in their habits:
Liberal Democrats who use Twitter, Facebook or other networking sites are more likely to use the “like” button to endorse messages or other material related to political issues. The poll found that was true for 52 percent of liberals who use social media, compared with 42 percent of conservative Republicans.
But Republicans are more likely to repost political material that was originally posted by someone else. The poll found that was true for 39 percent of Republicans who use social media, versus 34 percent of Democrats.
Perhaps to be expected: The poll found younger users (under age 50) are more likely than their older counterparts to post their own thoughts about social issues, links to political material or messages encouraging others to take political action.
Brandon Bailey covers Google, Facebook and Yahoo for the San Jose Mercury News, reporting on the business and culture of the Internet.
