Twenty Years of Digital Media Effects on Civic and Political Participation
Abstract
More than 300 studies have been published on the relationship between digital media and engagement in civic and political life. With such a vast body of research, it is difficult to see the big picture of how this relationship has evolved across time and across the globe. This article offers unique insights into how this relationship manifests across time and space, using a meta-analysis of existing research. This approach enables an analysis of a 20-year period, covering 50 countries and including survey data from more than 300,000 respondents. While the relationship may vary cross-nationally, the major story is the trend data. The trend data show a pattern of small, positive average coefficients turning into substantial, positive coefficients. These larger coefficients may be explained by the diffusion of this technology across the masses and changes in the types of use, particularly the rise of social networking sites and tools for online political participation.
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The associations reported for participation point mostly in beneficial directions for democracy.
“First, the associations reported for participation point mostly in beneficial directions for democracy (aligned with previous results45), including a wide range of political and civic behaviour (Fig. 1d), from low-effort participation such as liking/sharing political messages on social media to high-cost activities such as protesting in oppressive regimes.”
From A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy (2022) · cites this paper as [45]
The body of correlational evidence supported a beneficial association between digital media use and political participation and mobilization.
“Consistent with past meta-analyses42,43,45, the body of correlational evidence supported a beneficial association between digital media use and political participation and mobilization.”
From A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy (2022) · cites this paper as [45]
The search did not include all studies that are included in other systematic reviews due to stricter exclusion criteria.
“while at the same time, it did not include all studies that are included in other systematic reviews45 due to stricter exclusion criteria.”
From A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy (2022) · cites this paper as [45]
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A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy
Lorenz-Spreen, P., Oswald, L., Lewandowsky, S., & Hertwig, R. (2022) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-022-01460-1 · Cited by 348 · see citing works
False equivalencies: Online activism from left to right
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- Authors
- Boulianne, S.
- Affiliations
- MacEwan University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Boulianne, Shelley
- ORCID
- Boulianne, Shelley
- Venue
- Communication Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2018-10-26
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 947-966
- ISSN
- 0093-6502 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3810
- OpenAlex
- W2898534870
- Cited by
- 383
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 66 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 50.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Communication Research (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- MacEwan University (March 2016)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Communication › Social Media and Politics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › E-Government and Public Services
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
- Keywords
- digital media, citizen participation, political participation, social networking sites, online political participation, technology diffusion, cross-national trends, media effects on politics
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