Lee Rainie, Director of Internet and Technology Research at the Pew Research Center, delivered this keynote speech at the New Media and Society conference in Toronto on July 29, 2017. He discussed eight changes in the information ecosystem that are making this a particularly challenging moment for social media proponents and those who advocate for the internet and how citizens are trying to navigate the challenging world of “fake news” and “truthiness” on social media. He examined the impact of these challenges on the way that people’s trust in information sources is shifting.

1. The Reckoning for Social Media
Lee Rainie - @lrainie
Director Internet and Technology Research at PRC
Social Media and Society – Toronto
July 29, 2017

3. Some of our recent findings

5. August 1, 2017 www.pewresearch.org 5

6. Trump job rating at historic low
Presidential job approval (%)
6August 1, 2017
Source: Survey conducted April 5-11, 2017.

7. August 1, 2017 7
Wider partisan divide in Trump’s early job ratings
Presidential job approval (%)
Source: Survey conducted April 5-11, 2017.
75 points

8. 8/1/2017 8

9. August 1, 2017 9

10. U.S. Muslims Are
Concerned About Their
Place in Society, but
Continue to Believe in
the American Dream

11. Information revolutions are like avalanches

12. “We are today as far into the electric age as the
Elizabethans had advanced into the
typographical and mechanical age. And we
are experiencing the same confusions and
indecisions which they had felt when living
simultaneously in two contrasted forms of
society and experience.”
-- Marshall McLuhan – Gutenberg Galaxy (1962)

13. Elizabeth Eisenstein
Folklore
Witchcraft
Alchemy

14. Today
Trolls
Fake news
Weaponized information

15. John Naughton

16. The
Weaponized
Narrative
Initiative

17. Team Deibert

20. State of social media (mid-2016 data)
69% of U.S. adults use social media
68% use Facebook
28% use Instagram
26% use Pinterest
25% use Linked In
21% use Twitter
--------------------------------
29% of smartphone owners use messaging apps like WhatsApp or
Kik
24% use auto-delete apps like Snapchat or Wickr
5% use apps that allow people to post anonymously like YikYak

21. Substantial ‘reciprocity’ across major social media platforms
% of users of each social media site who use another social media site
Use
Twitter
Use
Instagram
Use
Pinterest
Use
LinkedIn
Use
Facebook
% of Twitter
users who … -- 65% 48% 54% 93%
% of Instagram
users who … 49 -- 54 48 95
% of Pinterest
users who … 38 57 -- 41 92
% of LinkedIn
users who … 45 53 43 -- 89
% of Facebook
users who … 29 39 36 33 --
Source: Survey conducted March 7-April 4, 2016.
“Social Media Update 2016”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
0

22. Reasons for the reckoning
1) Environment of “total noise” spreads confusion and mistrust
2) Hyper-partisan climate has intensified and invaded personal
interactions
3) Balkanized media ecosystem proliferates info options
4) Users are emotionally disinhibited and harassment increases
5) Anti-social pathologies have multiplied
6) “Attention economy” platforms incentivize outrage, extremism
7) Bots can play the game, too
8) It’s becoming clear that many don’t want to engage – emotionally
and/or technically

23. 1) Environment of “total noise” spreads confusion and mistrust
“That’s … the sound of our U.S. culture right now,
a culture and volume of info and spin and
rhetoric and context that I know I’m not alone in
finding too much to even absorb, much less to
try to make sense of or organize into any kind of
triage of saliency or value…. To really try to be
informed and literate today is to feel stupid
nearly all the time, and to need help.”
-- David Foster Wallace – Deciderization 2007: A Special Report
(in “The Best American Essays 2007)

24. 24
The abundance of information has confused people
as much as it’s enlightened them
22 38 16 23
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Very well Somewhat well
Not too well Not well at all
I find it difficult to know
whether the information I find
online is trustworthy
% who say this statement
describes them…

25. Fake news is seen as a problem

26. People’s trust in various sources of information
3
14
17
18
18
24
39
40
31
54
48
54
43
58
44
38
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Info on social media
Info from financial institutions
Info from national news organizations
Info from local news organizations
Info from government sources
Info from family and friends
Info from health care providers
Information from local public library
a lot some

27. 26% of Americans have had false information posted about them

28. 2) Hyper-partisan climate has
intensified and invaded personal
interactions

29. Democrats and Republicans more ideologically
divided and ‘purified’ than in the past
Distribution of Democrats and Republicans on a 10-item scale of political values

30. Ideological polarization in the American public
It was 64% and 70%, respectively, in 1994!

31. Most say Clinton, Trump supporters cannot agree even on ‘basic
facts’
On important issues facing the country, most Trump and Clinton supporters … (%)

32. Affective polarization also much stronger now
36% of
Republicans
see
Democrats as
a threat to the
nation’s well
being
27% of
Democrats
see
Republican
s as a
threat to
the nation’s
well being

33. Negative stereotypes about the ‘other side’

34. A year before election, most felt like ‘their side’ was losing more
often than winning in politics
On issues that matter to you in politics today, has your side
been winning or losing more often? (%)

35. Partisans want to live with others who share their political views

36. 3) Balkanized media ecosystem
proliferates info options

37. Consistent Liberals & Conservatives
Often Live in Different Media Worlds

38. Little Overlap in the Sources Trusted for Political News

39. Public Trust in Government: 1958-2015
Trust the federal government to do what is right just about always/most of the time

44. Both Parties Have Lost Confidence and Trust in Public’s
Potential Wisdom
% very great/good deal of trust and confidence in political wisdom of
American people

45. 4) Users are emotionally
disinhibited and harassment
increases

46. 41% have personally experience online harassment
(66% have witnessed it)

47. Harassment reasons
14%
9
8
8
5
3
3
1
Political views
Physical appearance
Gender
Race/ethnicity
Religion
Sexual orientation
Occupation
Disability

48. Social media is the most common venue for online harassment
(most recent episode)

49. 5) Anti-social pathologies have
multiplied

50. August 1, 2017 51www.pewresearch.org

51. Public awareness of kinds of harassment
58%
42
17
9
29
30
33
22
8
14
24
24
5
13
26
44
Hacking
Trolling
Doxing
Swatting
A great deal Some A little None

52. 6) “Attention economy” platforms
incentivize outrage, extremism

54. www.pewresearch.org

55. 7) “Bots can play the game, too

56. 8) It’s becoming clear that many
don’t want to engage – emotionally
and/or technically

57. More than a third are worn out by the amount of political content
they encounter

58. Many users see social media as an especially negative venue
for political discussions compared with face-to-face

59. The state of play in social networks:
Echo and empty chambers
4% of SM users (2% of adults) are at least somewhat
orienting their networks like echo chambers
28% of SM users (14% of adults) have
either added or trimmed their
network because of political content
22% of SM users (12% of adults) live in networks
where they hear at least some/most political
material they agree with
44% of SM users (24% of adults) have
very light exchanges over politics
22% of SM users (12% of adults) are a “captive
audience” whose network delivers political
material but they don’t
9% of SM users (5% of adults) have no
politics going on in their networks
36% of all adults have no
connection to the SM
world of politics

60. Information wary ~ quarter of population
People with relatively low
levels of interest in
information.
Very low levels of trust in
information sources.
They do not exhibit much
interest in acquiring digital
skills or the wherewithal to
determine what information
is trustworthy.

61. Information wary ~ quarter of population
Demographics
Male dominated
Tilts white
Tilts older
Non-parents of minors

62. The Doubtful ~ quarter of population
This group has fairly typical
levels of interest in
information (just below
average) and visit the
library on par with others.
Yet they have low levels of
trust in info sources
(especially national / local
news organizations).

63. The Doubtful ~ quarter of population ---- (2)
They are also much more
likely than average to say
they are often trying to do
two or more things at once
and less likely than others
to say it is easy for them to
relax.
Have little interest in
improving their information
literacy.

64. The Doubtful ~ quarter of population
Demographics
Tilts male
Middle-aged
Tilts to better off HH
Tilts suburban

65. How the public hopes it
can get better

66. Who has a major role to play in addressing online harassment?
64%
60
49
32
22%
28
36
40
6%
5
8
21
A major role A minor role No role
Online services
Witnesses to this
behavior
Law enforcement
Elected officials

67. Better tech tools and stronger laws are the top choices
% who say the most effective way to address online harassment is …
% of U.S. adults who say people being harassed or bullied online is …

68. Large majority support online platforms intervening when
harassment occurs

69. Divisions about the balance between free speech and making
others feel welcome online
45
56
36
64
41
53
34
53
43
63
35
57
46
65
All adults
Men
Women
Men 18-29
Women 18-29
Men 30+
Women 30+
Speak minds freely Feel welcome and safe

70. August 1, 2017

71. www.pewresearch.org

72. What people say they want/need
Smart allies (diversity really helps)
Improved curators
Proof of authenticity
Transparency
Just-in-time help in
decision making
More training on tech use and
information literacy
Organizations that will help
and protect them (esp. when it
comes to privacy/security)

73. August 1, 2017 75www.pewresearch.org
Thank you!
Email: lrainie@pewresearch.org
Twitter: @lrainie
@pewinternet
@pewresearch