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Social Media

Topic Spotlight

  • Most-Used Platforms: YouTube (85%) and Facebook (70%) are the most widely used online platforms among U.S. adults. (Read the fact sheet)
  • News on Social Media: Just over half of U.S. adults (54%) say they at least sometimes get news from social media. (Read the fact sheet)
  • Teens & Social Media: Many teens are on social media daily – if not constantly – but daily use varies by platform. (Read the fact sheet)

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  • short reads

    Twitter Not Making Much News

    Despite its growth as a tool in the world of new media, Twitter does not yet drive a substantial amount of traffic to news websites.

  • report

    Twitter Update 2011

    13% of online adults use Twitter, and half of Twitter users access the service “on the go” via mobile phone.

  • report

    Social Media Express Strong Support for Israel

    How have social media responded to President Obama’s controversial speech about the conflict in the Middle East? This special edition of PEJ’s New Media Index is an in-depth look at the tone of the complex conversation on blogs, Twitter and Facebook that occurred as President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu met in Washington.

  • short reads

    Zuckerberg vs. Boehner (updated)

    Far more young adults are able to identify the founder of Facebook (63%) than name the speaker of the House (21%).

  • report

    Social Media React to Bin Laden’s Death

    The death of the al Qaeda leader drove the social media conversation last week, as bloggers and Facebook and Twitter users examined numerous themes—ranging from fear to humor—that emerged in the wake of the May 1 raid that killed the al Qaeda leader.

  • report

    The Social Life of Health Information, 2011

    The online conversation about health is being driven forward by two forces: 1) the availability of social tools and 2) the motivation, especially among people living with chronic conditions, to connect with each other.

  • report

    Navigating News Online

    The future of the journalism relies heavily on understanding the ways people consume news online. But mastering that information is challenging. Behavior is changing quickly, and the metrics can be elusive and even contradictory. In a new study, PEJ examines Nielsen data from the top 25 most popular news sites to offer insights about how people get to news sites; what they do once there and where they go when they leave.

  • presentation

    The Networked Librarian (Video & Slides)

    Lee Rainie discusses how libraries can be actors in building and participating in social networks through their use of social media and through delivering their time-tested — and trusted — services to their patrons.