Using Social Media for Political Issues

Social media activity on Black Lives Matter protests and other political issues have skyrocketed over the past two months. More and more Americans are using social media to express their opinions on important cultural and social issues, whether by liking, sharing or posting content. A new survey shows, however, that those who use social media for political issues varies by demographic.

In a Pew Research Center survey from the end of June, Black and Hispanic U.S. adults utilize social media more for political and social issues compared to white adults. On using social media to find other people that share their views on political issues, 57 percent and 60 percent of Black and Hispanic Americans, respectively, said that was an important feature compared to just 39 percent of white Americans.

The survey went on to show how young Americans have drastically increased their use of social media on political issues over the last two years. When it comes to using social media to get involved in political and social issues, 59 percent of those aged 18-29 said it was important to them compared to 47 percent in 2018. Social media interaction with political posts has been dropping for those 50 and older, with just 37 percent saying the same compared to 41 percent in 2018.