Why do most news and enterainment sites work so hard to get Facebook's algorithm to put their news in front of you?
Because a new Pew research poll says 61 percent of millennials turn to Facebook for their political news, compared to just 37 percent who get it from TV.
That's almost a mirror opposite of the Baby Boomer generation. A full 60 percent of Baby Boomers prefer television, with 39 percent turning to Facebook.
The study looked at 2,901 adults with a clear line between generations.
Talking Points Memo reports the gap is easily explained by the ever expanding shift away from traditional TV viewing by young people. The site points out many millennials don't own a television at all.
Pew researchers say social media news tends to be more balanced.
“Most Facebook users who pay attention to political content, see views on the site that aren’t in line with their own,” they noted.
However, others point out that people are right to be concerned about Facebook's growing power to influence the public in unexpected ways.
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