Americans increasingly turned to the Internet and social networks for information about the midterm elections, according to a Pew Research Center study. In the months leading to the 2010 elections, viewership of online political videos rose to 31 percent, 18 points higher than in 2006.

Additional findings include:

• 53% of Internet users went online to engage in a campaign-related activity
• 2/3 of Republican and Democratic candidates used social networks in their campaign efforts
• 61% of adults surveyed agreed that the Internet exposed people to a wider range of political views
• 56% of Internet users said it is usually difficult for them to tell if information online is true or false

The survey results highlight the impact the Internet and social networks will likely play in the 2012 presidential campaign, the New York Times reported. According to Aaron Smith, a senior researcher at the Pew Center and author of the report, "as more people live more of their lives in the social Web, it becomes an important space for them to share their view and interpret what is going on in the world around them."

Read the full New York Times article here.