As social media continues to become a larger part of many people's everyday lives, it's not surprising to see that users are now more than ever getting news from the social media platforms.
A survey by Pew Research found that 62% of US adults get their news on social media, which is up from 49% reported in 2012. Of the 62%, 18% responded that they often get news from social media, 26% said sometimes, and 18% said hardly ever.
The leading social media platforms where users get their news are Reddit, where 70% of users get news, 66% of Facebook users, and 59% of Twitter users.
From 2013, all platforms have grown the percent of users who receive news from the sites, with Facebook experiencing the biggest increase.
When looking at each sites' total reach, and the proportion of users who get news on each site, Facebook leads the way - Facebook reaches 67% of US adults, and 44% get their news on the site. Twitter only reaches 16% of adults, but 9% get news from the platform.
Users of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube users are more likely to get news by chance, while LinkedIn, Twitter, and more likely to be looking for news.
Here is how the demographics break down for each social networking site.
Social media users also consume news through other news platforms, with local television being the most popular overall, and print newspapers being the least popular alternative news source.
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It's evident that social media is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to consume news, although recent revelations about Facebook's suppressing of news raises cause for concern for those scanning the site for newsflow. Also, as Facebook usage and reliance for news explodes, one should keep in mind another thing: Facebook is watching, and listening.