Facebook, Twitter Users Skew Liberal, Pew Study Finds

By Lucas Shaw

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Do social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have a liberal bias?

"Internet users who describe their political ideology as moderate or liberal are more likely than conservatives to use social networking sites," a new study from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project says.

Pew divided its study between the overall population and the population of internet users. Among the latter, 74 percent of those identifying themselves as liberal use social networking sites -- as compared to only 60 percent who identify themselves as conservative are on social networking sites.

When expanded to the general population, the gap narrows slightly. Some 60 percent of those identifying as liberal use social networking sites, while 49 percent of conservatives fit that bill.

Does this add more fodder for complaints that the media is an elite, liberal enclave? Does it mean conservatives need to mount a big social media campaign?

Or maybe it just means liberals are in love with themselves, so they want to post about their lives.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)