Facebook protest: not just for kids

A newly released study  by the Rideau Institute asserts that nearly half of the people on the Facebook group against prorogation are 45 years of age and older. They're also regular voters.  This puts a dent in claims that those 200,000-plus people are disaffected youth. 

Here's some more data from the poll, courtesy of the press release that accompanied it.

Despite the popular perception that the online social networking site is the purview of young people who typically don’t vote, the study “Facebook and Prorogation” found that users who joined the anti-prorogation group were likely to be over the age of 45 (50%), to consider themselves somewhat or very “politically engaged”(88%), and to have voted in the last election (96%).

 For most of its members, this was the first time they had joined a Facebook group with a political theme (55%), and three-quarters felt that joining would “make a difference” (75%).

“This study shows that Facebook could provide an important means for political parties and interest groups to organize committed supporters or gauge public opinion,” said Steven Staples, President of the Rideau Institute.

This survey was conducted on-line from January 13 to January 16, 2010. An invitation to participate in the survey was posted on the “wall” and the discussion board of Facebook’s Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament group, and 341 people responded to the survey.

 
 

Comments

[wascally wabbit]

OK - cynical old me is impressed!
So far however - I'm not seeing any other old war horses doing anythign serious to harness all this indignation!

[Colin Dennis]

I am 54, voted in the last election, and I joined the anti prorogation group in its very early stages. I am not against prorogation per se. I object to the way it has been used by this government to cut off an investigation it does not like, especially since it is a minority government.

[Frank Docherty]

With respect to proroguing parliament to stop the Afghan Detainee Torture Investigation, one can't help but to question the Harper government's ability, or lack thereof, to determine what is or is not a war crime. There are those, like Prof. Ed Morgan, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, who are asking the same questions. ( http://utorontolaw.typepad.com/faculty_blog/2009/05/prof-ed-morgan-its-a-legal-maze-for-canadian-authorities-abroad.html#comments )

[...pat.]

Seems to have been borne out by who I saw at the protest in Toronto on Saturday. I'd say there were a fair number of folk who will not see 40 again. Some, not 50 again. And some of those, not 60 again.