Americans are more comfortable having an in-person conversation...

Americans are more comfortable having an in-person conversation about the government’s surveillance programs than via a social media platform, said a Pew Research Internet Project report released Tuesday (http://pewrsr.ch/1BYLb3Q). In a survey of 1,801 adults, Pew asked about individuals’ willingness to discuss the surveillance programs that came to light in 2013. Eighty-six percent of those surveyed said they would have an in-person conversation about the topic, but only 42 percent of Facebook and Twitter users said they would post about it on either platform. “Social media did not provide new forums for those who might otherwise remain silent to express their opinions and debate issues,” said a summary of the report. “Further, if people thought their friends and followers in social media disagreed with them, they were less likely to say they would state their views on the Snowden-NSA story online and in other contexts, such as gatherings of friends, neighbors, or co-workers.”