34% of respondents said that they had started spending more time on social networks as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine. One in two (50%) of the population has not changed the amount of time they spend on social networks.
„Naturally, after 24 February, the war instantly became a mainstream topic, more or less relevant for everyone in the country. It has become important to follow the events, to learn as soon as possible about what is happening in Ukraine, how the world is reacting, and the best way to do that is through social networks, where information from the war zone is published practically in real-time, and where there is a lot of assessment and analysis of the war and the actions of politicians too,“ says Linas Damanskis, partner of the smart communication agency Idea Prima, which initiated the study.
However, the outbreak of war has attracted fewer people to social networks than the coronavirus. Two years ago, at the start of the pandemic, a similar study showed that 46% of the population was spending more time on social networks than before because of the coronavirus.
Social media is giving way to television
For breaking news and updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine, 34% of respondents prefer to watch TV. Social networks came second (26%), followed by news portals (23%). Blogs by institutions or professionals are the main information channel of choice for 5% of the population, word of mouth for 4%, radio for 3% and newspapers for 2%.
„This distribution of information channels shows the importance of speed of delivery of news and the possibility to find out what is going on without waiting for a long time. Although television, which is classified as traditional media, is the leading channel, we also see a significant weight of social media. Social networks have become a base of information, where various links are placed, experts’ comments, news, photos, and aid campaigns are published, so that consumers who have mastered digital technologies do not need to look for information anywhere else. It is enough to choose what is of interest and which information is worth trusting,“ notes the Idea Prima communication expert.
Social networks are preferred by slightly more men (28%) than women (24%), similarly with news portals (26% and 21% respectively). Women, meanwhile, are more likely to trust TV (35% compared to 32% of men) and also rely more on the information they get from friends and family – 6% compared to 2% of men.
Facebook remains the clear leader in the social networking category, with 53% of the population primarily looking for information about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Youtube is preferred by 22%, while Telegram is the third most important channel on the topic, with 14%.
The most trusted sources – Lithuanian and Ukrainian
The survey showed that of the information published on social networks on the subject of the war, the course of the war, tactical victories and defeats of the warring sides are of the greatest interest to the population, with 37% of the population reading them. 22% of the population read the comments and forecasts of experts on the course of the war. The decisions of NATO member countries in this situation are of interest to 7% of the population, the decisions of the world’s politicians to 6% of the population, while 12% of the population are not interested in the topic of the Russian war in Ukraine at all.
„People are most concerned about the course of the war and the news from the frontline – it is not only the fate of Ukraine that depends on it. Experts’ commentaries provide more clarity and a deeper understanding of the situation, and many people are interested in politicians’ decisions in this situation. These choices show that people value reliable information, which is encouraging, as there is a lot of misinformation and lies on social networks,“ says the communication expert.
According to the survey, 49% of the population trusts information about the war published on social networks, while 30% do not.
7 out of 10 respondents trust Lithuanian social media channels the most, while 31% of users consider Ukrainian channels trustworthy. 24% of people consider channels from other EU countries trustworthy, 23% – channels from the US and 20% – channels from the UK. Only 5% of respondents consider Russian social media channels trustworthy.
Synopticom, a market research company, carried out the survey of Lithuanian citizens with at least one social network account between 18–30 May. 569 people aged 18–60+ took part in the survey.
