The adoption of social media in Congress is higher even than that of even Americans at ages 18-29 years old, a new report says, a development that could have tangible results in coming elections.
About 80 percent of House and Senate members have social media accounts, reports The Associated Press, more than that of 18- 29-year-olds, the age cohort with the highest usage of social media. Only 75 percent of so-called millenials have social media accounts.
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The usage of social media in Congress can have real benefits. A third of young voters aged 18-29 have gone online to connect with government officials, according to a Pew Research survey.
Congress has adopted Twitter far more widely than other groups surveyed by Pew. In fact, only 18 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds use Twitter, while AP’s survey of Congress shows that 433 members of the House and Senate, or 81 percent, use the platform.
Slightly more, 441 members of Congress or 83 percent, use Facebook — a social media site that far more young voters use. Seventy-five percent of young voters have a Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn account.
Republicans lead Democrats in terms of Twitter use among members. Eighty-six percent of Republican members of Congress tweet, compared with 75 percent of Democrats.
The usage of social media like Twitter and Facebook could influence the way young voters see the political process. Millenials will have a significant role to play in future elections, as 51 percent of eligible voters ages 18-29 cast ballots in 2008, up 2 points from 2004.
A majority of young voters voted for President Barack Obama in 2008, whose campaign used social media extensively to reach out to younger voters.