short-paper

Facebook Escapism and Online Political Participation

Authors:

Christian Pieter Hoffmann,

Christoph Lutz,

Severina Müller,

Miriam MeckelAuthors Info & Claims

#SMSociety17: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Social Media & Society

Article No.: 41, Pages 1 - 6

https://doi.org/10.1145/3097286.3097327

Published: 28 July 2017 Publication History

Abstract

Recently, much scholarship has investigated how social media use affects citizens' political participation, online and offline. In general, social media use has a positive but weak effect on participation. However, different use types exert a differentiated influence. While information-rich and active uses result in more participation, entertainment-oriented and passive uses lead to less participation. In this contribution, we introduce the concept of escapist Facebook use. We argue that Facebook, even if used in escapist ways, might activate users to participate politically through what we call accidental political engagement. Based on a survey of 762 Facebook users in Germany and using linear regression, we test the influence of three Facebook use types on online political participation: consumptive, participatory and productive. We find that consumptive use has a negative effect, and productive use a positive effect on online political participation. Escapism has a small positive effect. It moderates consumptive use negatively and productive use positively, strengthening existing tendencies.

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Cited By

Tiidenberg KKaratzogianni AParsanoglou DMatthews JLepik KRaig MSuitslepp M(2024)Social Media as a Shaper, Enabler, and Hurdle in Youth Political ParticipationUnderstanding The Everyday Digital Lives of Children and Young People10.1007/978-3-031-46929-9_12(351-377)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46929-9_12
Kim AMoravec PDennis A(2023)When do details matter? News source evaluation summaries and details against misinformation on social mediaInternational Journal of Information Management10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.10266672(102666)Online publication date: Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102666
Bae M(2022)Coping strategies initiated by COVID-19-related stress, individuals' motives for social media use, and perceived stress reductionInternet Research10.1108/INTR-05-2021-026933:1(124-151)Online publication date: 17-May-2022
https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-05-2021-0269
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Index Terms

Facebook Escapism and Online Political Participation
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms

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#SMSociety17: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Social Media & Society

July 2017

414 pages

ISBN:9781450348478

DOI:10.1145/3097286

Copyright © 2017 ACM.

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Published: 28 July 2017

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#SMSociety17: 2017 International Conference on Social Media & Society

July 28 - 30, 2017

ON, Toronto, Canada

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#SMSociety17 Paper Acceptance Rate 58 of 142 submissions, 41%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 78 of 189 submissions, 41%

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Cited By

Tiidenberg KKaratzogianni AParsanoglou DMatthews JLepik KRaig MSuitslepp M(2024)Social Media as a Shaper, Enabler, and Hurdle in Youth Political ParticipationUnderstanding The Everyday Digital Lives of Children and Young People10.1007/978-3-031-46929-9_12(351-377)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46929-9_12
Kim AMoravec PDennis A(2023)When do details matter? News source evaluation summaries and details against misinformation on social mediaInternational Journal of Information Management10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.10266672(102666)Online publication date: Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102666
Bae M(2022)Coping strategies initiated by COVID-19-related stress, individuals' motives for social media use, and perceived stress reductionInternet Research10.1108/INTR-05-2021-026933:1(124-151)Online publication date: 17-May-2022
https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-05-2021-0269
Haq EBraud TKwon YHui P(2020)A Survey on Computational PoliticsIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2020.30349838(197379-197406)Online publication date: 2020
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3034983
Rui JCui XLiu Y(2020)They Are Watching Me: A Self-Presentational Approach to Political Expression on FacebookMass Communication and Society10.1080/15205436.2020.1740741Online publication date: 10-Mar-2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2020.1740741
Kofi Frimpong ALi PNyame GHossin M(2020)The Impact of Social Media Political Activists on Voting PatternsPolitical Behavior10.1007/s11109-020-09632-344:2(599-652)Online publication date: 4-Jul-2020
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-020-09632-3

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