How Young Adults Engage With Science on Social Media

• In Event: CAT Interactive Paper Session 6

Abstract

Social media affordances give people the opportunity to engage actively with content without having to go through traditional gatekeepers. While much research has looked at online participation for topics such as creative content and politics, very little has focused on the important area of science communication. Analyzing unique survey data collected in summer 2016 about a diverse group of young adults’ engagement with science content on social media, this paper fills a gap in the online participation literature by considering a heretofore neglected topical domain. Results suggest that a large portion of young adults engage with science content online, although they are much more likely to do so on Facebook than on Twitter. This finding is notable given the considerable focus on Twitter as a potential site for communicating about science to the public. The paper sheds light on the potential of social media to connect people with science.

Authors

• Eszter Hargittai, U. Zurich

• Tobias Fuechslin, U of Zurich

• Mike S. Schaefer, U of Zurich