The growth of social media and rapid adoption of internet-enable mobile devices have changed the way Americans engage in the political process. An infographic provides a summary of the latest data from national surveys taken during the 2012 campaign.
Registered voters on both sides of the political spectrum are using their cell phones to get campaign news, share their views about the candidates and interact with others about political issues
Campaign and policy-related material on SNS plays a modest role in influencing most users' views & political activities. Democrats & liberals are the most likely to say the sites have impact and are important.
Summary of research findings from Pew Internet's 2010 post-election survey.
54% of adults used the internet for political purposes in the 2010 election cycle, far surpassing the 2006 midterm contest.
Republicans catch up to Democrats in social media use for politics as social media became a regular part of the political environment in the 2010 midyear elections
More than a quarter of American adults - 26% - used their cell phones to learn about or participate in the 2010 mid-term election campaign.
A majority of American adults went online in 2008 to keep informed about political developments and to get involved with the election.
TV continues to dominate the media landscape, but the internet now rivals newspapers as a main source for campaign news.
Lee Rainie appeared on the NewsHour to discuss the findings.