Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement

Social media platforms (SMPs) have revolutionized social networks by facilitating connections and shaping the landscape of social interactions. The role of SMPs in contemporary civic participation, both online and offline, is undeniable. However, to understand the beliefs that drive young adults to...

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Main Authors: Juan Diego Borrero, Encarna Borrero-Domínguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile 2024-01-01
Series:Cuadernos.info
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Online Access:https://cuadernos.info/index.php/cdi/article/view/63423
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author Juan Diego Borrero
Encarna Borrero-Domínguez
author_facet Juan Diego Borrero
Encarna Borrero-Domínguez
author_sort Juan Diego Borrero
collection DOAJ
description Social media platforms (SMPs) have revolutionized social networks by facilitating connections and shaping the landscape of social interactions. The role of SMPs in contemporary civic participation, both online and offline, is undeniable. However, to understand the beliefs that drive young adults to use popular SMPs such as Facebook for civic engagement, fresh perspectives must be considered. This study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by conducting a questionnaire among 209 university students who actively use Facebook. Our results show that both expectancy and social influence gave a significant impact on students' intentions to use Facebook for civic engagement. We also identify Facebook mobilization efforts via smartphones as a strong predictor of both intention and use of Facebook for civic engagement. These findings indicate that Facebook is a valuable tool for young people to engage and participate in online social and political movements. While we acknowledge the limitations of this study, our analysis underscores the immense potential of SMPs as means for political participation.
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spelling doaj-art-a94cb5cd03fc40599d4cd9780b01e9022025-08-20T02:20:52ZengPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileCuadernos.info0719-367X2024-01-015710.7764/cdi.57.63423Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement Juan Diego Borrero0Encarna Borrero-Domínguez1Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, EspañaUniversidad de Huelva, Huelva, España Social media platforms (SMPs) have revolutionized social networks by facilitating connections and shaping the landscape of social interactions. The role of SMPs in contemporary civic participation, both online and offline, is undeniable. However, to understand the beliefs that drive young adults to use popular SMPs such as Facebook for civic engagement, fresh perspectives must be considered. This study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by conducting a questionnaire among 209 university students who actively use Facebook. Our results show that both expectancy and social influence gave a significant impact on students' intentions to use Facebook for civic engagement. We also identify Facebook mobilization efforts via smartphones as a strong predictor of both intention and use of Facebook for civic engagement. These findings indicate that Facebook is a valuable tool for young people to engage and participate in online social and political movements. While we acknowledge the limitations of this study, our analysis underscores the immense potential of SMPs as means for political participation. https://cuadernos.info/index.php/cdi/article/view/63423participatory organizations; citizen participation; facebook; UTAUT; civic engagement; young; Social Media Platforms.
spellingShingle Juan Diego Borrero
Encarna Borrero-Domínguez
Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
Cuadernos.info
participatory organizations; citizen participation; facebook; UTAUT; civic engagement; young; Social Media Platforms.
title Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
title_full Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
title_fullStr Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
title_full_unstemmed Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
title_short Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement
title_sort fostering active citizenship facebook s role in youth civic engagement
topic participatory organizations; citizen participation; facebook; UTAUT; civic engagement; young; Social Media Platforms.
url https://cuadernos.info/index.php/cdi/article/view/63423
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