Interesting survey results on the demographics of those who participate in online political activities.

The study concludes that just as in offline civic life, the well-to-do and well-educated are more likely than those less well off to participate in online political activities such as emailing a government official, signing an online petition or making a political contribution. 

However, it notes that there are hints that forms of civic engagement anchored in blogs and social networking sites could alter long-standing patterns that are based on socioeconomic status. In part, this circumstance results from the very high levels of online engagement by young adults.

The impact of these new tools on the future of online political involvement depends in large part upon what happens as this younger cohort of ‘digital natives’ gets older. The study ponders whether we are witnessing a generational change or a life-cycle phenomenon that will change as these younger users age?

For more, see link to document at right.