A new study by the PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT* found that full 46% of all Americans (or 63% of internet users only) are participating online in this year’s campaigns. They are using various online methods (the Web, email and cell phone text messaging) for a host of reasons: to get campaign news, share their views and mobilize others on behalf of candidates.
Getting campaign news and information remains the principal method of online participation -- with fully 40% of all adults (Internet users and non-users alike) doing so this year, versus only 31% in 2004. Other findings that demonstrate Americans’ surging embrace of the Internet include:
- 19% go online at least once weekly (6% go daily) for campaign purposes
- 23% receive campaign emails at least weekly
- 10% discuss campaigns via email at least weekly
- 8% of adult Internet users (or 6% of all adults) have donated to a candidate online thus far
- 35% of Americans have viewed campaign-related videos online
- 10% of Americans have used social networking sites to engage in political activity
The bellwether of online campaigning was the $91 million Barack Obama raised just in the first two months of 2008, mostly in small amounts over the Internet. By comparison, John Kerry raised $82 million and George Bush raised $14 million online throughout their campaigns for the 2004 Presidential election. Obama also boasts 1.5 million friends on Facebook and MySpace, plus some 850,000 online members of my.barackobama.com.
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* Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_2008_election.pdf
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