Social Media Use Substantially Impacts Individuals’ Civic Engagement And Political Participation

Gil de Zúñiga, H., Jung, N., & Valenzuela, S. (2012). Social media use for news and individuals' social capital, civic engagement and political participation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(3), 319-336. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2012.01574.x

In this journal article, the authors sought to examine whether social networking websites could inspire democratically pleasing attitudes and actions among the individuals who use the sites to keep abreast with political discourse and interact with others. In their findings, the authors note that social media use substantially impacted individuals’ civic engagement and political participation. This is because people can access a lot of information, news, and political discussions on different issues affecting communities. Additionally, the authors point out that, unlike traditional media, social media has the potential to increase the level of engagement of political leaders with their candidates. This journal article is important in explaining the role of social media in influencing individuals’ perceptions regarding their leaders. Political leaders have a chance to shape the attitudes and perceptions of his or her followers by maintaining a dominant online presence.

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