Social Networking

While Americans think that social media makes them more informed, most are skeptical about the information they find there, according to a new survey from The Allstate Corporation and National Journal.

Sixty percent of Americans think the Internet and social media make it easier for them to be well-informed, the survey found. However, Americans "overwhelmingly" believe that major corporations and political candidates view social media as a form of advertising, instead of communication. Moreover, 69 percent of Americans believe big businesses are active on social media to collect information about consumers and increase their profits.

The new data comes from a survey of 1,000 adults 18 and older, conducted this May to explore how Americans incorporate social media into their consumer and community behaviors.

Users, overall, find traditional news sources more trustworthy than online information sources such as social media, company or campaign websites, blogs, and forums, the survey found. Americans also don't believe social media has given them any more power or influence over corporations or the government.

Joan Walker, Allstate executive vice president, said there's no question that social media is "profoundly and very quickly" changing how users connect with each other, businesses, and government.

"The greater question is whether these amazing new tools can also help make us more trustworthy in our messaging and in the end reanimate our free press and our free enterprise even as it helps reinvent those endeavors," Walker said in a statement. "This poll shows that the jury is still out on these questions but suggests strongly that in social media there is much potential for good, creating more accessibility while demanding more authenticity to be successful."

Meanwhile, nearly two out of three survey respondents had used social media in the last month, the survey found. On average, social media users are somewhat younger, more educated and affluent than non-users. Sixty-four percent of social media users said they would like companies to use social media for customer service.

For more from Angela, follow her on Twitter @amoscaritolo.
