February 2017

Facebook is playing an increasingly important role in activism

It's clear that Facebook played a big role in mobilizing people to participate in the global Women's March in Jan. And now researchers have determined just how much of an impact the social network had. According to a study from researchers at the University of Maryland, almost 70 percent of people who attended the DC march heard about it on Facebook. Meanwhile, 61 percent from friends and family. "The take-home message here is clearly that Facebook matters more than friends and family to mobilization," said Dr. Dana R. Fisher, sociology professor and leader of the study. "Which is surprising and a really big deal."