Accidental exposure to politics on social media as online participation equalizer in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

We assess whether and how accidental exposure to political information on social media contributes to citizens\u2019 online political participation in comparative perspective. Based on three online surveys of samples representative of German, Italian, and British Internet users in the aftermath of the 2014 European Parliament elections, we find that accidental exposure to political information on social media is positively and significantly correlated with online participation in all three countries, particularly so in Germany where overall levels of participation were lower. We also find that interest in politics moderates this relationship so that the correlation is stronger among the less interested than among the highly interested. These findings suggest that inadvertent encounters with political content on social media are likely to reduce the gap in online engagement between citizens with high and low interest in politics, potentially broadening the range of voices that make themselves heard

Accidental exposure to politics on social media as online participation equalizer in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom

We assess whether and how accidental exposure to political information on social media contributes to citizens’ online political participation in comparative perspective. Based on three online surveys of samples representative of German, Italian, and British Internet users in the aftermath of the 2014 European Parliament elections, we find that accidental exposure to political information on social media is positively and significantly correlated with online participation in all three countries, particularly so in Germany where overall levels of participation were lower. We also find that interest in politics moderates this relationship so that the correlation is stronger among the less interested than among the highly interested. These findings suggest that inadvertent encounters with political content on social media are likely to reduce the gap in online engagement between citizens with high and low interest in politics, potentially broadening the range of voices that make themselves heard

Following Politicians on Social Media: Effects for Political Information, Peer Communication, and Youth Engagement

Young citizens increasingly turn to social media platforms for political information. These platforms enable direct communication between politicians and citizens, circumventing the influence of traditional news outlets. We still know little about the consequences of direct contact with politicians on such platforms for citizens’ political participation. Here, we argue that the interplay of different actors in the political news diet of citizens should be investigated from a networked communication perspective. Relying on a cross-sectional survey of young Danes (15–25 years old, n = 567), we investigate the relationship between following politicians on social media and: (a) the composition of young citizens’ political media diet; and (b) their civic messaging and campaign participation. Following political actors on social media relates to increased campaign engagement and can be a catalyst for young people’s exposure to campaign news, but their friends and followers function as the main node of their political online networks. We document a process of the de-mediation of politics on social media: Established news media lose influence as primary information sources for young citizens. We discuss these results in the context of users’ active curation and passive selection of their political social media diet

New Hopes for Democracy or a Pirated Elite? Swedish Social Media Users and Political Mobilisation.

In this study, a group of Swedish social media users – politically active as well as “unpolitical” users – are interviewed in focus groups as well as individually about their attitudes towards online political participation, providing a deeper, more informed view of how social media participation works. Sweden, with its high levels of voluntary participation and with an avant-garde position in Internet, broadband and social media penetration, could indeed function as a most-likely case for studying whether social media has any positive effects on participation. The participants in the study are well-educated, young and comfortable using the Internet, further increasing the probability of finding individuals engaged in digital activism. The results are puzzling: on the one hand, there is an almost unanimous contempt for political campaigns in social media among the participants. On the other hand, almost all of the participants are engaging with politics in social media in various ways. The article concludes in arguing that intensive methods must be used in order to gain a richer understanding of the political behaviour of citizens online

Dual screening, public service broadcasting, and political participation in eight Western democracies

We investigate the relationship between political dual screening—that is, watching political contents on television while reading and commenting on them on social media—and political participation across eight Western democracies: Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. Based on custom built online surveys conducted between 2015 and 2016 on samples representative of the adult population with internet access in each country, we test hypotheses on both intra-country and cross-country direct and differential effects of political dual screening on various forms of offline and online political participation. We find a positive correlation between the frequency with which citizens dual screen political content and their overall levels of participation. Such correlation is stronger among respondents with lower levels of interest in politics, suggesting that dual screening has the potential to bridge participatory gaps between citizens who are more and less politically involved. The relationship between dual screening and participation is also significantly stronger in countries whose media systems feature the strongest Public Service Broadcasters. Our findings suggest that dual screening makes a positive contribution to democratic citizenship and political equality, and that it can also help public service media fulfill some of their key functions

Social media and political participation : a case study of facebook as a plaftorm of communication, mobilization and action

Social media is increasingly used for political conversations and debate. In Hong Kong, social media has provided a convenient and accessible platform for stakeholders in the political arena to publicize their ideas and for users to be engaged in political discourse. This study aims at investigating the effects of social media on political participation among Hong Kong youth, who are generally regarded as “digital natives” and “critical citizens”. This study focuses on Facebook, the most widely-used social networking site in Hong Kong, and examines how Facebook use, connection and interactivity with political actors on Facebook, exposure to political information on Facebook and perceived information quality of Facebook relate to online and offline political participation among young people in Hong Kong. Questionnaires are collected from local post-secondary students and graduates aged between 18 and 29. Findings show that connection with political actors on Facebook and exposure to political information on Facebook mediate the impact of Facebook use on political participation, which echo the results of previous studies. Semistructured interviews are also conducted with sampled youth in order to explore the perception of Hong Kong youth on Facebook in terms of the intensity of interaction with political actors via Facebook pages and the quality of political information disseminated on Facebook. In light of the concept of public sphere and its later revisions, this research argues that social media add value to political engagement by offering alternative news and information source and facilitating a vibrant discussion of politics online. However, the effects of social media have to be qualified. Reactions to political information on Facebook and subsequent decisions on political participation also involve the expression of emotions and spontaneous response to a critical event, rather than merely depending on rational and critically informed debate. Explanations to the relationships between the variables are discussed. Sociological implications on the capabilities of social media in generating social capital and engaging users in the public sphere, as well as practical implications on the multidimensional use of social media applications and the usefulness of social media for stakeholders in socio-political aspects, are proposed. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the mobilization potential of social media in both online and offline political activism

The voice of distrust? The relationship between political trust, online political participation and voting

In this article, we examine how political trust is associated with participation in political discussions on social media and voting activity. We explore whether social media can provide platforms for those who are passive in terms of formal political participation. Our data were derived from a representative survey based on a sample collected in 2017 from the Finnish population register (N = 2470). Our key findings were that online and offline participation were highly linked to each other. Those citizens who participated formally by voting were also more likely to participate online. Moreover, we found a moderating effect of political trust on the relationship between online and offline participation. Therefore, we concluded that social media platforms also provide channels for political participation for individuals with low political trust who do not participate formally by voting.</p

Online Political Participation and Netizen Anonymity in Indonesia’s Digital Democracy

The growth of social media in Indonesia has contributed to an increase in the public’s online political participation. This phenomenon has brought forward discussion regarding the pros and cons of online political participation, as related to participants’ identities. The lack of traceability regarding participants’ identities has posed some challenges, including the accountability and legitimacy of opinions. This research seeks to achieve a comprehensive understanding of anonymity in political participation. By applying the theory of online disinhibition effect, this research attempts to explain the dynamics of anonymity, its implications for political participation on social media, and the effects of anonymity on the quality of digital democracy. Using surveys, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews, this research seeks to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the issues. The findings show that the varied degrees of anonymity employed by citizens affect their political participation. In addition, anonymity can be understood as citizens’ mechanism for coping with various possible consequences, such as legal and social retribution in the personal and professional context. We argue that the option to remain anonymous on social media has increased the extent of political participation in Indonesia. However, this increase in the quantity of participation has not necessarily been followed by an increase in its quality. Such a situation, ironically, is due to the nature of anonymity itself, which is further explained through the framework of the online disinhibition effect

E-participation in contemporary China: A comparison with conventional offline participation

Drawing on the resource theory of political participation, we compare the determinants of Internet-based e-participation and conventional offline political participation in China by employing data from an original survey conducted in 2013. We find that e-government and other online platforms provide more equal participation opportunities to Chinese citizens traditionally lacking political resources. Although non-party members and non-elites are disadvantaged in conventional offline participation, they are not in e-participation, especially through using e-government systems. Internet/computer access and Internet skills push individuals away from conventional offline participation, and frequent social media users are more likely to engage in e-participation. Taken together, these results suggest that e-government and other online platforms offer the genuine potential to expand the scope of participation and empowers those traditionally disadvantaged in China

Who’s afraid of clicktivism? Exploring citizens’ use of social media and political participation in the Czech Republic

This chapter aims to empirically investigate the connection between online political expression (Gil de Zuniga et al. 2014) and offline political and civic engagement in the context of the 2013 Czech Parliamentary elections. The theoretical context of the chapter is informed by the debates surrounding the role of social network sites and other Web 2.0 applications in facilitating new forms of civic engagement and political participation, and particularly by the concepts of “clicktivism” or “slacktivism” (e.g. Morozov 2009), claiming that online activism is often not being followed or complemented by offline or forms of participation, and that there is no link between digital engagement and citizens’ real–life actions. Driven by the main research question “How does social media use relate to election turnout and other forms of offline political participation?”, this study attempts to test this thesis, using data from a representative survey of the Czech adult population, distributed directly following the 2013 elections. The results suggest that the hypothesis about “clicktivism” is all but unfounded in the context of the Czech social network users, as those politically active online during the campaign are more likely to vote, and engage more often in other traditional participatory activities as well. The analysis further explores the relationship between participation and the use of social media, taking into account other factors such as political interest and political efficacy, with the ambition to provide a more detailed understanding of online political engagement and its determinants