Fostering Active Citizenship: Facebook's Role in Youth Civic Engagement

Juan Diego Borrero; Encarna Borrero-Domínguez

doi:10.7764/cdi.57.63423

Autores/as

Juan Diego Borrero Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0219-2539
Encarna Borrero-Domínguez Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7502-6609

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.57.63423

Palabras clave:

participatory organizations; citizen participation; facebook; UTAUT; civic engagement; young; Social Media Platforms.

Resumen

Social media platforms (SMPs) have revolutionized social networks by facilitating connections and shaping the landscape of social interactions. The role of SMPs in contemporary civic participation, both online and offline, is undeniable. However, to understand the beliefs that drive young adults to use popular SMPs such as Facebook for civic engagement, fresh perspectives must be considered. This study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by conducting a questionnaire among 209 university students who actively use Facebook. Our results show that both expectancy and social influence gave a significant impact on students' intentions to use Facebook for civic engagement. We also identify Facebook mobilization efforts via smartphones as a strong predictor of both intention and use of Facebook for civic engagement. These findings indicate that Facebook is a valuable tool for young people to engage and participate in online social and political movements. While we acknowledge the limitations of this study, our analysis underscores the immense potential of SMPs as means for political participation.

Biografía del autor/a

Juan Diego Borrero, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España

Juan Diego Borrero, ingeniero agrónomo, doctor en Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales y licenciado en Derecho, ha desempeñado su labor desde 1999 en el departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Marketing de la Universidad de Huelva. Ha realizado varias estancias posdoctorales en centros de investigación de referencia, como Cardiff Business School (Reino Unido, 2011), Manchester Metropolitan University (Reino Unido, 2012), Universidad de Concepción (Chile, 2017) y Nazarbayev University (Kazajistán, 2022). Es autor de numerosos artículos científicos y ha participado en numerosos proyectos de I+D+i.

Encarna Borrero-Domínguez, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, España

Encarna Borrero-Domínguez, estudiante de Psicología en la Universidad de Huelva y estancia en la Universidad de Barcelona (2022-2023). Actualmente se encuentra colaborando con el Departamento de Dirección de Empresas y Marketing investigando en temas relacionados con los comportamientos sociales en Internet, el comportamiento del consumidor y el emprendimiento, aplicando diversos modelos de ecuaciones estructurales.

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