Facebook is a social networking website where friends, family and others connect with each other, that you already know, but do you use it to stay updated with the latest news? A new study has surfaced highlighting that many people land up getting the latest happenings from around the globe through the SNS, mostly unintentionally.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center has discovered that approximately 78% of participants are exposed to news on the SNS without actually searching for it. This usually occurs while carrying out other tasks that most users usually do on Facebook. From the lot, only 4% has stated that the social network is their first preference to find news.
One participant noted that the SNS is a ‘good way to find out news without actually looking.’ Basically, spending more time on Facebook will eventually bring up news that you find interesting. Even with this, nothing changes for a typical user. The study highlights that almost all of the 78% also spend time looking up friends and their recent activities.
The report from the Pew Research Center has various other interesting findings to share. Entertainment news is the most popular as around 73% consumers are presented with such topics regularly. Out of the total 78%, young users aged between 18 to 29 years amount to 34% of Facebook news consumers. What also promotes news on the SNS are likes, comments and shares. Approximately 64% click on links, 60% may like or comment and 43% share the articles.
The survey was conducted during August 21 and September 2 of this year with a total of 5,173 participants, all adults (18 and above).