Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores people’s lived experience of discussing politics online. Based on original research involving in-depth conversations with 85 participants around the UK, it asks people about their own understanding of their online engagement, focusing on major UK political events and related debates –the Scottish Independence Referendum, the EU Referendum and the UK Labour Party leadership contests. It shows how people’s experiences are varied and influenced by many factors, but with a focus on personal feelings, needs and concerns as much as wider political ones. Participants struggle with self-awareness and understanding the motives and actions of others, which has an impact on their behaviour and perceived efficacy. They can have profound emotional responses owing to the constraints of using social media but still value it as a medium for political learning and self-expression. Communication effects in this environment are complex and unpredictable – there is much ‘crosstalk’. Social media itself is proving to be an unprecedented learning environment, where people begin to better understand their own behaviour and that of others and adapt over time.
Trade Review“The greatest contribution of Political Participation on Social Media: The Lived Experience of Online Debate is that it provides a clear interdisciplinary context for future scholarship on the many human factors that affect political participation. It is a highly recommended resource with several implications in an academic and political context in politics, communication, media, psychology, and journalism disciplines and professions alike.” (Jade Larson, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Vol. 100 (2), 2023)
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The internet, social media, and politics Chapter 3 Human factorsChapter 4 BehaviourChapter 5 Belief, identity, and the presentation of selfChapter 6 Crosstalk: Emotion and misunderstanding in online debate Chapter 7 Self-understanding of participationChapter 8 Perceptions of efficacyChapter 9 Experience of major UK debatesChapter 10 Into the labyrinth: Media through a social media lensChapter 11 Conclusion
