Pew Research Center analyzed the evolution of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on Twitter and examined how individuals engage with social issues on social media.
An analysis of 44 million public tweets over the last 10 years was conducted along with a survey of 5,000 U.S. adults from May 15-21, 2023.
Key findings include:
1.) 77% of social media users have come across content related to the Black Lives Matter Movement.
— 24% of users have posted or shared content in support of the movement, and 10% have posted or shared content in opposition of the movement.
2.) 81% of U.S. adults believe police violence against black people is a problem.
3.) 43% say social media is “extremely effective” or “very effective” way to bring attention to this issue compared to only 32% who say news organizations are “extremely effective” or “very effective.”
— However, 76% of U.S. adults said “social media makes people think they’re making a difference when they really aren’t.”
4.) 30% of social media users said these sites were “very important” or “somewhat important” to them for getting involved with issues they care about, a decrease from 44% in 2020.
Read the full report here
