• Big Issues
  • Environment
    • Wildlife
  • Food
  • Social Justice
  • Culture
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
  • Business
    • Insights
    • Innovation & Tech
    • Green
  • Big Issues
  • Environment
  • Food
  • Social Justice
  • Culture
  • Business
  • Share

The 10 Social Issues Americans Talk the Most About on Twitter
Photo Gallery
The 10 Social Issues Americans Talk the Most About on Twitter
Enter Photo Gallery

The 10 Social Issues Americans Talk the Most About on Twitter

According to the United Nations, we’re using the platform for more than live-tweeting the Academy Awards.

July 12, 2014 Liz Dwyer
  • Share

10. Better Transportation and Roads

Have you ever tweeted about all the potholes on your morning commute, being stuck in a horrible traffic jam, or subway delays? Plenty of Americans have. With 1,395,907 tweets, the subject of better transportation and roads is the 10th-most-talked-about issue on Twitter.

(Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

9. Reliable Energy at Home

When the power goes out, Twitter lights up. Everyone wants to know when the electricity is going to be back on. But Americans are also tweeting about green sources of energy, such as wind and solar power. With 1,717,863 tweets, reliable energy at home is the ninth-most-discussed issue on the social media platform.

(Photo: Getty Images)

8. Equality Between Men and Women

Three cheers for #YesAllWomen! Tweets with key words like gender and violence reveal that equality between men and women is on the minds of many Americans. An inspiring 1,936,516 tweets put this subject in eighth place.

(Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

7. Protecting Forests, Rivers, and Oceans

Good news: Americans really do care about the planet. A remarkable 2,352,180 tweets about saving the world’s trees from illegal logging and protecting our oceans from toxic plastic pollution make protecting forests and rivers the seventh-most-talked-about issue on Twitter.

(Photo: Getty Images)

6. Action Taken on Climate Change

Sorry, climate change deniers, with 2,431,326 tweets about the issue, it’s clear that Americans know there’s a problem with our environment. Users of the platform are eager to discuss pollution, conservation, and clean energy, which puts the issue in sixth place.

(Photo: Lisa Werner/Getty Images)

5. Political Freedoms

America’s the greatest nation in the world—as long as we uphold our democratic values. An astonishing 2,809,219 tweets about civil rights, freedom of the press, and free speech put the issue of political freedoms in fifth place.

(Photo: Brian Lawrence/Getty Images)

4. An Honest and Responsive Government

Forget that tired red state–versus–blue-state narrative. Americans just want a government that works. A full 2,826,891 tweets about an honest and responsible government put this issue in the fourth spot, showing that we aren’t as caught up in partisan politics as you might think.

(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

3. A Good Education

Whether it’s tweeting about student loan debt or thanking teachers, education is a hot topic on Twitter. Americans care deeply about getting a good one. An astounding 5,093,484 tweets make it the third-most-popular issue on the social media platform.

(Photo: Getty Images)

2. Freedom From Discrimination

Can’t we all just get along? A staggering 6,449,822 tweets about issues related to freedom from discrimination put this issue in the No. 2 spot. Twitter users discuss everything from eliminating racism and discrimination against Muslims to marriage equality and LGBT rights.

(Photo: Jonathan Alcorn/Getty Images)

1. Better Job Opportunities

With the economy still recovering from the Great Recession, it’s no surprise that Americans are tweeting up a storm about finding employment or moving up the career ladder. The abundance of tweets—6,838,071 of them, featuring words like unemployed and hiring—landed the subject of better job opportunities at the very top.

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The 10 Social Issues Americans Talk the Most About on Twitter
Up Next
8 Awesome Things About the Countries Left in the World Cup
Enter Photo Gallery

8 Awesome Things About the Countries Left in the World Cup

Since the World Cup kicked off in June, we’ve seen plenty of action go down in Brazil. Fans have cheered and cried, a player was bitten, and the American team went home crestfallen. Eight teams are still in the running for the golden trophy, so now’s the time to celebrate what each home country does well off the field. Click through for eight reasons to salute the quarterfinalists. 

0 of 0

Sure, it’s fun to follow hashtags regarding Ryan Gosling or live-tweet about television shows such as Scandal, but plenty of Americans also use Twitter to talk about real issues. Global Pulse, the big data innovation initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, mined every tweet sent from 2012 until now. It analyzed the words people use that best relate to the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals. Here are the 10 issues Americans discuss the most on the social media platform.

Enter Photo Gallery

Related Stories on TakePart

Americans Love K-Cups, but Their Creator Regrets Inventing Them

The Fascinating Story Behind Why So Many Nail Technicians Are Vietn...

12 Disturbing Tweets That Prove How Common Sexual Abuse Is for Kids

Get More

  • Innovation & Technology
  • television
  • English-language films
  • Academy Award for Best Actor

Takepart’s Most Popular

From The Web

Comments ()

about takepart

TakePart is the digital news and lifestyle magazine from Participant Media, the company behind such acclaimed documentaries as CITIZENFOUR, An Inconvenient Truth, and Food, Inc. and feature films including  Lincoln and Spotlight.

follow us

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Participant Media
  • TakePart