Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Study: Online Social Influence Has the Strongest Effect On Voting Behavior

Posted by samzenpus on from the I-like-what-the-people-I-talk-to-like dept.

sciencehabit writes "Brace yourself for a tidal wave of Facebook campaigning before November's U.S. presidential election. A study of 61 million Facebook users finds that using online social networks to urge people to vote has a much stronger effect on their voting behavior than spamming them with information via television ads or phone calls."

6 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. For now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's only because a lot of people haven't yet become as adept at ignoring the adds on social media platforms as they already are on TV and print mediums. This noted effectiveness will wear off as more and more people get used to ignoring a new form of advertising.

  2. It's not just for now. by mosb1000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're talking about ads, but your friend might recommend something to you, and if it's someone you know or trust you are a lot more likely to look at it. And that's something that's probably never going to change. Gossiping would go away before that would.

    1. Re:It's not just for now. by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hmm.....sounds to me like yet another reason not to join Facebook.....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  3. Online Social Influence ... by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    .... is effective on the unwashed

    For those who are seasoned and thick-skinned, we have developed the habit of using our brain, instead of letting others to think for us
     

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
  4. This just in by jxander · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Breaking news: Facebook users find Facebook to be the most effective means of influencing them.

    Film at 11

    --
    This signature is false.
  5. Re:The internet routes around damage. by readin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, who's up for making a browser addon that automatically cross-references online political ads to various fact checking sites?

    But since ad-checking sites have their agenda too, we'd need another app to cross-reference the fact checking sites to fact checking site verfication sites...

    --
    I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.