Examining the roles of social media use and connections to public actors on democratic engagement

An analysis of young adults in three Asian societies

Bibliographic Data

ID12656997
AuthorsMichael Chan (0000-0001-9911-593X, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, corresponding author), Francis Lee (0000-0003-1587-4950, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong), Hsuan-Ting Chen (0000-0003-3140-5169, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
Year2021
Volume26
Issue1
Pages53-70
Publication date2021-11-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Media & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-4448 • E-ISSN: 1461-7315
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14614448211053559
OpenAlexW3212254387
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited51

Social media platforms not only provide young adults exposure to information about political and social affairs, but also opportunities to curate connections with influential public actors that can engender greater public expression and participation in civic life. We examine these dynamics using probability surveys of young adults in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Results across the three samples showed that social media connections with journalists and activists were positively related to exposure to and sharing of public affairs content. Sharing public affairs content on social media in turn was related to greater willingness to speak out about political and social issues beyond the social media platforms. These experiences further empower youth to engage in civic participation. This study elucidates the importance of public actors on social media as socialization agents for youth that can engender subsequent public expression and civic participation across societies with different political and media systems

American political science · China · Civic engagement · Democracy · Political science · Political socialization · Politics · Public opinion · Public relations · Social engagement · Social media · Social science · Socialization · Sociology · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics

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