The Internet is a growing platform for political change, users’ faith in the reliability of online information continues to dip and fewer adults approve of children’s online use, according to an annual online impact study released Thursday by the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.
Those views are among more than 180 issues explored in the 2014 Digital Future Project, conducted with Bovitz Inc.
The study — now in its 12th year — is billed as the longest continuing survey about the role of digital technology in American life, focusing on the views and behavior of Internet users compared with those of non-users.
This year’s results show a growing percentage of Internet users recognize the massive power that online technology has in political campaigns and building political influence and also understand the political clout it gives the public by providing a more direct say in government.
“We may be entering a realm where the Internet plays a larger role in political campaigns than television does,” center Director Jeffrey I. Colen said. “Digital technology is assuming a critical role in politics — both in getting out the vote and for informing voters — particularly for voters under 35.
“Republican candidates were slow to recognize the role of the Internet in campaigning, and were caught completely off guard by the Democrats in 2008,” Colen said. “But that was a one-time phenomenon; now both political parties understand the importance of digital technology in their planning.”
The study found the highest-yet levels of agreement with statements about the growing importance of the Internet in several realms of politics.
For example:
— 75 percent of users age 16 and older agree or strongly agree that the Internet is important for the political campaign process;
— 63 percent agree that going online can help users better understand politics;
— 34 percent agree the Internet will make public officials care more about what users think; and
— 32 percent said the Internet can help users have more say over what the government does.
Additionally, 37 percent of users age 16 and older said that by using the Internet, people like them can have more political power; near the high of 40 percent reported in 2005.
But only 41 percent of Internet users said most or all of the information online is reliable — the lowest level reported in the study since 2009 (39 percent).
Users have more faith in the websites they visit regularly; 75 percent said most or all of the information on the sites they visit regularly is reliable and accurate. But that percentage is the lowest thus far in all the studies.
More than one-fourth (26 percent) of the users said half or less of the information on the sites they visit regularly is reliable and accurate, a new high.
Almost all respondents age 16 and older (91 percent) expressed some level of concern about their online privacy because their online behavior can be tracked.
The percentage of adults — 31 percent — who said the children in their household spend too much time online has steadily increased since the question was first asked in 2000.
The survey examined the behavior and views of a national sample of 1,043 Internet users and non-users. It has a margin of error of plus- or minus-3 percent.