What makes people engage in civic activism on social media?

• Published in: Online information review Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 562 - 576
• Main Authors: Hong, Hyehyun, Kim, Yeuseung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 10.05.2021; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Activism; Beliefs; Citizen Participation; Community; Community Relations; Demonstrations & protests; Digital media; Information sources; Interest groups; Literature Reviews; Meta Analysis; Motivation; Opinions; Participation; Political activism; Political Issues; Research facilities; Social Media; Social networks; Social research; User behavior; User generated content; Opinion expression motive; External online political efficacy; Civic activism; Civic engagement; Social media
• ISSN: 1468-4527; 1468-4535
• DOI: 10.1108/OIR-03-2020-0105

PurposeGiven the profound impact of social media on civic activism, as demonstrated by the #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo movements, the current study aimed to examine the factors that influence the public to engage in civic activism on social media platforms.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the responses from 4,316 social media users who participated in the 2018 American Trends Survey (Wave 35) conducted by Pew Research Center. The dataset was analyzed using hierarchical regression.FindingsThe results suggest that respondents who were younger, female, White and liberal were more likely to participate in activism-related behaviors, such as using hashtags, changing profile pictures and participating in groups with shared interests in political and social issues. Respondents' engagement in online civic activism increased particularly when they had a strong motive for expressing and sharing their opinions. In contrast, external online political efficacy – the belief that social media influences policymaking and decision makers – was not significantly associated with activism engagement on social media.Originality/valueThis study identified key demographic characteristics of social media users who participate in online civic activism. In addition, the findings extend previous lines of inquiry by examining and assessing the impact of external online political efficacy and opinion expression motive. We conclude that individuals engage in civic activism on social media mainly because they find it important to express views on political and social issues and to find others who share these views, as opposed to thinking that social media can be used to exert influence on policy decisions.