Fewer people are relying on the Internet in general and social media specifically for election news and information than some social media “experts” would have us believe, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center.
While many in tech journalism circles have been quick to call the 2012 presidential race “the Social Media Election,” the poll found that few of us are relying on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for election information. While 25% say they regularly learn something about the election from the Internet, tha’s almost unchanged from 2008, when 24% said they regularly got election information from the Internet.
Even more telling is where on the Internet that information comes from: 6% of poll respondents said they are regularly learning about the campaign from Facebook, followed by YouTube videos (3%) and Twitter (2%), according to Pew.
One reason social media hasn’t grown by the leaps and bounds predicted is less engagement by young people. In 2008, there were two contested primaries, including a Democratic primary which has traditional drawn younger and arguably more tech-savvy voters. This year, only one in five people under 30 say they have been following the campaigns “very closely,” down from 31% in 2008.
