Social Isolation and New Technology
How the internet and mobile phones impact Americans’ social networks.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
A dovish article by a conservative columnist triggered a heated blogger’s debate over Afghanistan last week while the major topics on Twitter were all related to technology. On YouTube, health care protests continue to make for popular viewing, though not quite as popular as a dancing school teacher.
None of the European leaders tested in this survey achieve the high levels of praise that are bestowed upon the new U.S. President Barack Obama. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who receives positive marks throughout much of Western Europe, does not match Obama’s high levels of support. In contrast to Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy […]
For the first week all year, health care was the leading topic of conversation among bloggers. And it was an often contentious conversation as liberals and conservatives accused each other of spreading untruths—and sometimes worse. On Twitter, technology-focused stories led the agenda as Iran dropped out of the top story list for the first time since the disputed June 12 elections.
Americans have used several sources of information and advice in the recession. People have a range of options when it comes to seeking information and advice about their personal economic circumstances and how to change them. We asked everyone in our survey about the places they had gotten information and advice in the past 12 […]
Last week, for the first time in two months, the most discussed news story on Twitter was something other than unrest in Iran. Instead, it was Twitter itself and the outage the site faced on August 6. In the blogosphere, attention was focused on an unusual lawsuit. And on YouTube, the top videos involved rising political temperatures in the dog days of summer.
Contrary to the mainstream media focus on the Sotomayor confirmation hearings last week, social media reflected a very different news agenda. On blogs, Sarah Palin’s political future and views on energy policy dominated. On Twitter, Iran led the conversation for a fifth week in a row. And on YouTube, a controversy over a photo of President Obama was resolved.
As has been the case since his death, Michael Jackson dominated the headlines last week—with his July 7 memorial service as the major newsmaker. And while the struggling economy continued to generate attention, the No. 3 story was the ongoing press buzz over the outgoing Alaska Governor.