More Americans Use Social Media for News, Pew Research Center Says
Eight percent of U.S. adults are using artificial intelligence chatbots to find information related to the 2026 midterm elections, relying on them mainly for candidate details and fact checks, a Pew Research Center survey reports.
The integration of artificial intelligence into major social media platforms and search engines has led critics to ask whether these tools provide accurate information to voters. Smaller shares of chatbot users are turning to the technology for suggestions on how to vote or to find logistical election information, according to the Pew Research Center.
Civic Engagement and Information Habits Measured in New Quiz
To gauge how individual news consumption and political involvement stack up nationally, the Pew Research Center released a quiz examining civic personalities based on findings from a nationally representative survey conducted by the Pew-Knight Initiative.
That initiative also tracked broader shifts in where Americans find current events. A majority of U.S. adults now say social media platforms are an important way they keep up with the news. Thirteen percent identify social media as their most important news source, a jump from five percent in 2022, according to Pew Research Center data.
Reddit Expands Recommendation Feeds Amid Online Community Reliance
Nearly four in ten U.S. adults belong to an online community. Among those members, 86 percent state that staying informed is a primary reason for visiting their most-frequented forum, the Pew-Knight Initiative reports. Fifteen percent of Americans overall participate in online communities on discussion forums such as Reddit, and nine percent regularly get news on the site, a figure that rises to 18 percent for adults under 30.
