In case you needed a reminder that Twitter isn't the real world, the Pew Research Center found that 10% of users produced 92% of all tweets since last November. And 69% of those super-tweeters were Democrats.
Pew's latest study, "Differences in How Democrats and Republicans Behave on Twitter," paints a complicated picture of the tweeting electorate. Here are a few of the report's other key findings:
- The most active 10% of self-identifying Democrats on Twitter tweet an average of 157 times a month, more than twice as many as the most active Republicans, who hit the Tweet button only 79 times a month.
- The median Democrat follows 126 people and has 32 followers, and tweets once a month. Meanwhile, the median Republican follows 71 people, is followed by 21, and never tweets at all.
- The Republicans surveyed tended to be roughly as conservative whether or not they used Twitter. But tweeting Democrats were significantly more liberal than non-tweeting Democrats.
- Twitter users tended to be younger and more educated than non-Twitter users, regardless of party.
- Both sides of the aisle have their go-to follows, but a few surprising names appeal to everyone. Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon and CNN's breaking news account all had pretty even splits of Democrat and Republican followers.
- Republicans were much more likely to follow Trump and Pence (38% followed at least one) than Democrats were to follow Biden and Harris (only 19%).
- No matter which way you lean, you're talking to @realdonaldtrump. He was the most-mentioned account across the board. @joebiden came in third. In second place, oddly enough, was YouTube.
Overall, it seems Twitter represents a smaller, more liberal point of view than the actual electorate. And in general, even when it feels like everyone is talking all the time, it's really only a few voices being heard. And trying to chat with the president.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE