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Political Engagement of Digital Natives on Facebook : The Moderating Role of Impression Management
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2014-04-12
Author(s)
Abstract
This contribution addresses the moderating role of impression management on the relationship between online and offline political participation. It concentrates on young citizens in Switzerland and Germany aged 18-30. After a discussion of the slacktivism thesis as the theoretical backbone of the paper, we describe the dataset and present the method of analysis. Significant differences in political participation - both online and offline - as well as in impression management between Germany and Switzerland exist. Using linear regression models, we elaborate salient drivers of offline participation. Contradicting the slacktivism thesis, we do not find a weakening effect of different impression management techniques on the relationship between political participation on Facebook and offline participation forms, such as demonstrating. By contrast, certain impression management techniques strengthen the online-offline link, while others do not exert a moderating effect. Overall, young citizens in Germany and Switzerland seem to be able to transfer their political engagement on Facebook to offline settings, even when they reveal high levels of impression management. Political engagement on Facebook is not an isolated act of self-staging that fizzles out in the virtual sphere.
Language
English
Keywords
Facebook
Social Network Sites
Social Media
Political Participation
Slacktivism
Impression Management
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SoM - Business Innovation
Refereed
Yes
Book title
Abbruch - Umbruch - Aufbruch
Publisher
SGKM
Start page
1
End page
5
Pages
5
Event Title
40. Jahrestagung der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft (SGKM)
Event Location
Zürich
Event Date
11.-12.04.2014
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
231108