Social Media

fact sheetOct 19, 2026

An image of someone using a smartphone with icons

Today YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms. Explore the demographic patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape.

reportOct 7, 2026

Image depicts multiple phone screens, each with health influencer content

Just over half of health and wellness content on social media focuses on healthy living, while about a third discusses medical topics. And 38% of posts have a product or service promotion.

reportOct 14, 2026

Nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults are in an online community. These virtual third spaces can take many forms, like Facebook groups, online video games or fandom forums on Reddit.

All

Social Media

Publications

Filtered by:

Refine Your Results

reportMar 26, 2014

State of the News Media 2014

In many ways, 2013 and early 2014 brought a level of energy to the news industry not seen for a long time. Even as challenges of the past several years continue and new ones emerge, the activities this year have created a new sense of optimism – or perhaps hope – for the future of American journalism.
reportMar 26, 2014

8 Key Takeaways about Social Media and News

News has a place in social media – but on some sites more than others
reportMar 21, 2014

Turkey’s Twitter Block and Global Internet Freedom

Vladimir Putin has never been a fan of a free press or open public debates, but the Ukraine crisis has provided the Kremlin with a new favorite target for cracking down even more harshly on political expression: cyberspace.
short readsMar 19, 2014

Data Feed: Keystone XL divides Democrats, global views of online censorship, how to gain Twitter followers

A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
reportMar 13, 2014

Social, Search and Direct

Direct visitors to 26 top news sites—those who type in the news outlet’s URL or have the address bookmarked—are far more engaged with that news than users who arrive from Facebook or a search engine, according to a new analysis of online traffic data.
reportMar 6, 2014

Media Coverage of Pope Francis’ First Year

One year into Francis’ papacy, an analysis by the Pew Research Center finds that the former Jesuit archbishop – who was named Time’s Person of the Year – ranked among the top global newsmakers in major U.S.-based digital news outlets.
presentationMar 3, 2014

Cancer Communication in the Digital Age

Susannah Fox will present the latest research on social media and health at a workshop hosted by the President’s Cancer Panel at the National Cancer Institute: “Cancer Communication: In the Digital Era, Opportunities Amongst the Challenges.”
short readsFeb 27, 2014

Americans increasingly view the internet, cellphones as essential

Americans are growing more attached to modern digital technologies, such as cellphones and the internet, and less attached to traditional hardware, such as landline phones and televisions.
reportFeb 27, 2014

The Web at 25 in the U.S.

The overall verdict: The internet has been a plus for society and an especially good thing for individual users
short readsFeb 20, 2014

Q/A: How Pew Research mapped the conversations on Twitter

A conversation with Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Internet Project, about the project’s new report on mapping Twitter conversations.