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The Role of Social Media on Young Adult Political Identity

Fernandez Morales, Roberto
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162688562255675

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Contemporary emergent adults are culturally unique as they are the first generation to grow up as internet natives. This extends to social media, where a plethora of research shows that emergent adults and young adult use social media as an extension of their identity, including political identity. Sociological research demonstrates that emergent adults use social media platforms to engage in political behavior as part of politically engaged citizenship. However, there are two unanswered questions regarding political engagement via social media. Namely, are emergent adults accessing social media, and the political behaviors therein, in an egalitarian fashion? Further, how might social media affect existing status inequalities, and is this effect evenly distributed across liberal and conservative users? To answer these questions, I employ two large and nationally representative datasets. The first is the Monitoring the Future dataset which contains nationally representative data from respondents between the ages of 16-22 (n=29,000), administered in 2018. Secondly, the Civic Network dataset contains nationally representative data from three large democracies—the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia—from respondents between the ages of 17-29 (n=3,480) from the years 2013-2015. I use these to empirically interrogate inequality in access and use of social media, as well as the ways in which social media may shape political orientations and formal and informal political behaviors. Chapter 1 presents an overview of relevant sociological literature regarding emergent adults, social media, and political attitudes and behaviors. Significant conceptual and empirical gaps in the literature are identified. Further, I also outline the relevant guiding research questions that the following chapters address. Chapter 2 dives into the inequality of use of social media platforms. New and relevant findings demonstrate inequality of access and use, and, paradoxically, greater proportions of marginalized users in specific social media platforms. Chapter 3 presents quantitative analyses regarding questions of perceived self-efficacy, political orientations and attitudes, as well as the relationship these have to the use of overall and specific social media platforms. Chapter 4 analyzes the relationship between social media and both formal and informal political behaviors. Novel analyses regarding the relationship between social media and formal and informal political behaviors are outlined and addressed. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes findings from Chapters 2 through 4, while also contextualizing these findings within the scope of relevant sociological literature. Contributions, limitations, and further directions of study are also addressed.
Vincent Roscigno, PhD (Committee Chair)
Andrew Martin, PhD (Committee Member)
Ryan King, PhD (Committee Member)
107 p.
Social Research; Sociology
social media, sociology, youth, young adults, politics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fernandez Morales, R. (2021). The Role of Social Media on Young Adult Political Identity [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162688562255675

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fernandez Morales, Roberto. The Role of Social Media on Young Adult Political Identity. 2021. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162688562255675.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fernandez Morales, Roberto. "The Role of Social Media on Young Adult Political Identity." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu162688562255675

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu162688562255675
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.