Opinions shared on social media may not be as important as you would think.

Courtney Roden
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

In fact, most people won’t change their mind because of something they see on social media. A recent research study from the Pew Research Center found that in the past year only 14 percent of American people actually change their stance on issues because of exposure to opposing views. However, it was found that certain groups may be more swayed than other. Young men between the ages of 18–29 are the most likely to modify their views with 29% and people 65+ are the least likely with only 6%. In addition, Democrats and liberals are more likely to rethink their views than Republicans and conservatives. Most of the people who had changed their mind because of social media posts placed a high level of importance on social media as a tool for political engagement and activism.

So what does this mean for social media users? This should be a main lesson learned for activist and political groups. Since so few people’s opinions are actually changed by social media posts, it may not be as important as they would think to share their thoughts and stances. Maybe people would be more influenced in person rather than online. I think that people do use social media for information, even if it doesn’t actually change their views. On a more personal level, one should take this into consideration before going on long rants about their views. It’s not likely that you will be able to change someone’s mind despite how strongly worded your post is.

Original Article: https://mashable.com/2018/08/30/pew-social-media-change-views/?utm_cid=mash-prod-nav-sub-st#oGZG8c7Bwiq8

Courtney Roden

Written by

UF Public Relations Student. Fiance. Dog Lover.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade