News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2018
Most Americans continue to get news on social media, even though many have concerns about its accuracy.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Many Facebook users don’t understand how the site’s news feed works
Around half of U.S. adults who use Facebook say they do not understand why certain posts but not others are included in their news feed. Older users are particularly likely to say they do not understand the workings of the news feed.
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Americans are changing their relationship with Facebook
Just over half of Facebook users have adjusted privacy settings in the past year. Around four-in-ten have taken a break from checking for several weeks or more.
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How Teens and Parents Navigate Screen Time and Device Distractions
Roughly half of U.S. teens say they spend too much time on their cellphones, and two-thirds of parents express concern over their teen’s screen time. But parents face their own challenges of device-related distraction.
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14% of Americans have changed their mind about an issue because of something they saw on social media
A small share of the public – 14% – say they have changed their views about a political or social issue in the past year because of something they saw on social media.
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Moderates in Congress go local on Facebook more than the most ideological members
For the average moderate legislator, about 54% of a member’s Facebook posts discussed local issues between 2015 and 2017. But for the average very liberal or very conservative legislator, just 38% of posts dealt with local issues.
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Taking Sides on Facebook: How Congressional Outreach Changed Under President Trump
Democratic legislators’ opposition to political adversaries on Facebook spiked after Trump’s election, while “angry” reactions to posts by members of Congress increased among followers.
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Activism in the Social Media Age
As the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag turns 5 years old, a look at its evolution on Twitter and how Americans view social media’s impact on political and civic engagement
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Stories From Experts About the Impact of Digital Life
While many technology experts and scholars have concerns about the social, political and economic fallout from the spread of digital activities, they also tend to report that their own experience of digital life has been positive.
