Nearly half of Americans get their news from social media

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Americans are slowly turning to outlets other than social media for news. In its latest survey, Pew Research Center found that 48 percent of US adults say they get news from social media “often” or “sometimes,” representing a five percent decline compared to 2020.

It should come as little surprise that Facebook leads the pack by a sizable margin. In a separate question asking social media users where they get news from, 31 percent said they regularly gather news on Facebook.

Roughly one in five Americans (22 percent) said they turn to YouTube for news, while fewer than one in 10 Americans get news from Reddit (seven percent), TikTok (six percent), Snapchat (four percent), LinkedIn (four percent), WhatsApp (three percent) and Twitch (one percent).

Pew also found that the majority of social media news gatherers are Democrats or lead Democratic. In fact, across eight of the leading social media sites, Democrats outweigh Republicans every time.

That said, we’re curious about how our own readers gather news. I mostly stick to established, dedicated news sites for my reading. Occasionally, a headline on social media might catch my attention, but instead of following the link, I’ll take the headline and go to a trusted news site to research further.

In my mind, this helps to curb misinformation. If I find something sensational on social yet there’s no mention about it in the major press, odds are, it’s not real. The built-in BS meter in my brain also plays a bit role in helping to weed out the junk. How about you?

Masthead credit cottonbro

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/91350-nearly-half-americans-get-their-news-social-media.html

 

[pcnthuziast]

I am not a Republican or a Democrat, I am an American.

I am not a conservative or a liberal, I am an individual.

I am not on the right or the left, I am free!


I get my news (The Good News) from the bible.

 

[scavengerspc]

In its latest survey, Pew Research Center found that 48 percent of US adults say they get news from social media

And now we see why there are people that say we are already doomed because of climate change. Despite every bit of evidence that we still have time and that it is far from too late.

And why we also have people that have huffed and even ingested bleach, taken livestock worming meds and gargle iodine, are still so terrified of a vaccine that 5.5 billion people have had at least once and nearly 3 billion have received twice.

 

[BadThad]

I absolutely NEVER get news from social media. It is the WORST place! One blogger can write something and it goes all over - usually unsubstantiated opinion or worse - all out fake news. Of course, the outlets like CNN and MSNPC are little more than opinion networks and slanted/biased "news", especially when it comes to politics.

Other than that, I use most all other official news outlets. If it's a topic that interests me, I will use several sources to gather my own opinion.

What troubles me is the "one line experts" that blast out to cellphones. A fool reads a headline and that's as far as they get. It becomes official news in their mind without any due diligence on their part. That is SCARY - as these are typically the low-IQ who are easily manipulated and too lazy to confirm what they've read.

 

[Superconductor]

Explains SO much !

 

[RudyBob]

Those be the half that don't get news. Also, it does not matter where the "news" comes from. There are no outlets that get it right. I write that because of the times I have seen or been in the "news" and the report I read is not what I saw. And those that wish for the days of Walter Cronkite...LOL.

 

[RudyBob]

I am not a Republican or a Democrat, I am an American.

I am not a conservative or a liberal, I am an individual.

I am not on the right or the left, I am free!


I get my news (The Good News) from the bible.

I am a conservative. I am traditional. I vote Republican.
I avoid all news as best I can. I never look for news but some stuff filters through and that is usually on FB. Some friends post a meme of what they found to anger them that day. I have a fast scrolling mouse. I don't read the Bible but after services I feel quite good

 

[pcnthuziast]

I am a conservative. I am traditional. I vote Republican.
I avoid all news as best I can. I never look for news but some stuff filters through and that is usually on FB. Some friends post a meme of what they found to anger them that day. I have a fast scrolling mouse. I don't read the Bible but after services I feel quite good

Consider this:
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.



Christ is the word of God in the flesh.

The bible is the word of God in a book.

Having a relationship with the word is having a relationship with Christ who is no longer with us in the flesh. Read the book even though it can be very heavy and hard to understand fully. It is a living word.

 

[wiyosaya]

News from social media is an oxymoron.

Here's an interesting study on the subject - https://phys.org/news/2021-02-social-media-users-misinformation.html

 

[wiyosaya]

I absolutely NEVER get news from social media. It is the WORST place! One blogger can write something and it goes all over - usually unsubstantiated opinion or worse - all out fake news. Of course, the outlets like CNN and MSNPC are little more than opinion networks and slanted/biased "news", especially when it comes to politics.

Other than that, I use most all other official news outlets. If it's a topic that interests me, I will use several sources to gather my own opinion.

What troubles me is the "one line experts" that blast out to cellphones. A fool reads a headline and that's as far as they get. It becomes official news in their mind without any due diligence on their part. That is SCARY - as these are typically the low-IQ who are easily manipulated and too lazy to confirm what they've read.

Nothing different about Fox, and other's that spout the same Fox-like "message".

 

[wiyosaya]

I ignore the thump, thump, thump. To me, most people who thump, thump, thump have little understanding of the subject, IMO. There are plenty of spiritual works out there, and in one way or another, they spread the same, good message.

 

[cliffordcooley]

It doesn't matter where the news comes from. There is biased opinions from all sources. Especially now when your voice can be silenced. Silenced for not aligning with the top 10 tech corporations.

There are plenty of spiritual works out there, and in one way or another, they spread the same, good message.

Yeah and the exact same thing is happening to our freedom. Segregation and diversity is killing it. The church splitting up has shown our government how to prevent people from standing together.

 

[p51d007]

And everytime you see a "peaceful protest" be it left or right, you understand why the founding fathers did not want a pure democracy (mob rule) and instead selected a representative form of government, along with the electoral college. Just with they would repeal the 17th amendment and give the states back their "voice" in our federal government.

 

[RudyBob]

Nothing different about Fox, and other's that spout the same Fox-like "message".

I quit Fox because they spent so much time quoting CNN, MSNBC and the like. Fox News is like any other. It's the primetime shows that people disagree with. IMO NO NEWS is GOOD news LOL. I don't watch any commentators

 

[pcnthuziast]

I ignore the thump, thump, thump. To me, most people who thump, thump, thump have little understanding of the subject, IMO. There are plenty of spiritual works out there, and in one way or another, they spread the same, good message.

It's not about religions or 'spiritual works'. Don't have to ever join a denomination, sect or religious group. The only spiritual work that matters is a work that has already been done and finished by Jesus Christ. The work as it were, is complete. It is us who are not yet complete.

I quit Fox because they spent so much time quoting CNN, MSNBC and the like. Fox News is like any other. It's the primetime shows that people disagree with. IMO NO NEWS is GOOD news LOL. I don't watch any commentators

The participants and actors matter very little when you realize the systems and institutions themselves are corrupt to the core. The entirety of US news media has adopted the business model of The National Enquirer. To stir and shock rather than to inform and empower.

Revenue off, over servitude of, we the people.

 

[wiyosaya]

It's not about religions or 'spiritual works'. Don't have to ever join a denomination, sect or religious group. The only spiritual work that matters is a work that has already been done and finished by Jesus Christ. The work as it were, is complete. It is us who are not yet complete.

A set of books written, historically, 100-years or so after Jesus lived, and edited, reedited, translated, and retranslated, then complied into a book by some religion because the humans behind that religion approved of them, in no way can be complete - or the word of a supreme being. At best, they fit the definition of myth. I am not, however, saying that they do not have a good message. The trouble is when trying to understand the message as interpretations of the message are as variable as the number of people reading the myths.

As I see them they a marketing tool for the religions that have evolved around them. If those religions can get you to believe in what they claim to be true, they can keep your money filing into their pockets. IMO, organized religions are a survival game that is more attributable to the world's economic systems than to the spirituality of those same religions.

The participants and actors matter very little when you realize the systems and institutions themselves are corrupt to the core. The entirety of US news media has adopted the business model of The National Enquirer. To stir and shock rather than to inform and empower.

At least we agree on that.

Revenue off, over servitude of, we the people.

I see it as the same with religions that want you to think XYZ religion has the only way. People who follow them are the servants of those religions - and not the other way around.

It doesn't matter where the news comes from. There is biased opinions from all sources. Especially now when your voice can be silenced. Silenced for not aligning with the top 10 tech corporations.

In order to change that, if you think that your particular side's view is being silenced, people, like you, have to get their representatives and a majority of the states to say that the government can make laws restricting the freedom of speech. Then what would we have?

What I think people fail to see is that each side makes attempts to silence the other when it is either convenient for them, or they disagree with what the other side says, as well as for various other reasons.

Yeah and the exact same thing is happening to our freedom. Segregation and diversity is killing it. The church splitting up has shown our government how to prevent people from standing together.

Within the boundaries of religion, that segregation and diversity would have no power if people did not give it to them.

However, I think you missed my point. As I see it, there are spiritual elements that are common to all religions, and that is why I choose to be a member of none.

 

[scavengerspc]

A disturbing amount of people start screaming "fake news" simply because they heard something they don't like. Facts be damned.

 

[GamerNerves]

As a Finn I pretty much only check news from local national source, founded by the goverment, funded by tax money. There is no singular perfect option without any issues or mistakes, but social media is certainly the media which highly likely offers fake news or strongly biased ones. It is a jungle without proper control, so information from there is suitable for very considerate people, but I guess the very opposite is the reality, that people who don't research, don't read more than the headline and are actually interested more in debates than information which would help in creating an objective view, are browsing news from social media.
This age we live is juicy for those with agendas. It's not like all sorts of crazy agendas didn't exist before, but more effort was required to reach an audience - usually you needed to be a trained journalist, but most likely your journey ended before long.

The thirst for drama is the real issue that cannot be extinguished. People get hooked on simple misleading headlines and having information digested for them, like the yellow press has always done, more or less.
The difference is today you have "fascinating" comment sections, that are easy to jump into, and which may direct you to unreliable sources. You would imagine nothing too harmful would happen, that people would be smart enough on their own in any case, but as an example SJW stuff proves otherwise, affecting lots of entertainment as we all know. Who would have imagined all this in the nineties?

I'm not saying there are no good comment sections though, usually moderated ones are pretty good on general news sites. In fact, often proper comments reveal some crucial information or offer a different, intellectual viewpoint, further shedding light on the matter. They are also helpful in busting incorrect information.

 

[cliffordcooley]

It is a jungle without proper control

And this is where the rub comes in. Proper control only tells you what they want you to know. Whether it be true or intentionally misleading. Proper control does not get you truth either.

 

[pcnthuziast]

A set of books written, historically, 100-years or so after Jesus lived, and edited, reedited, translated, and retranslated, then complied into a book by some religion because the humans behind that religion approved of them, in no way can be complete - or the word of a supreme being. At best, they fit the definition of myth. I am not, however, saying that they do not have a good message. The trouble is when trying to understand the message as interpretations of the message are as variable as the number of people reading the myths.

As I see them they a marketing tool for the religions that have evolved around them. If those religions can get you to believe in what they claim to be true, they can keep your money filing into their pockets. IMO, organized religions are a survival game that is more attributable to the world's economic systems than to the spirituality of those same religions.

At least we agree on that.

I see it as the same with religions that want you to think XYZ religion has the only way. People who follow them are the servants of those religions - and not the other way around.

In order to change that, if you think that your particular side's view is being silenced, people, like you, have to get their representatives and a majority of the states to say that the government can make laws restricting the freedom of speech. Then what would we have?

What I think people fail to see is that each side makes attempts to silence the other when it is either convenient for them, or they disagree with what the other side says, as well as for various other reasons.

Within the boundaries of religion, that segregation and diversity would have no power if people did not give it to them.

However, I think you missed my point. As I see it, there are spiritual elements that are common to all religions, and that is why I choose to be a member of none.

I understand why you have the point of view you have and I have pondered every bit of that line of thinking throughout my life. Rather than defend a position arbitrarily or the validity of the scriptures in and of themselves, I will simply say that my life has unfolded in such a way that it is an utter absurdity for me to believe anything other than that God exists and Christ is truly and unquestionably the way and the truth and the life.

I don't assume you are an atheist, but share this simply because it is powerful.

 

[Wrinkle]

I tend to use multiple reputable news sources for the same subject. I also like to read opinion pieces that have different viewing angles so I can make up my own mind.

Regarding use of social media, some of the people I know get depressed by the constant stream of negativity and drama that’s the news these days. You could say they can’t deal with too much reality and honestly I don’t blame them for that too much.

They tend to look for news elsewhere and that’s when they end up on social media. After a while they tend to get sucked up in their respective bubbles and get depressed again because social media is even more extreme than the regular newsfeeds.

 

[ZedRM]

I am not among that half... This does not speak well for us. Social media is the LAST place people should be looking for news!