Social Media Effects on Opinion Polarization and Political Participation During the 2015 European Immigration Movements

• In Event: Polarization: Causes, Consequences and Remedies

Abstract

The selective exposure to likeminded political viewpoints on algorithmic social media platforms is seen as a potential source for opinion polarization. But so far, little is known about how realistic this proposed mechanism is. It is furthermore an open question, what effects a potential opinion polarization invoked by social media use has on citizens’ democratic behavior, especially in a non-electoral context. Focusing on the issue of immigration during the refugee influx to Europe in autumn 2015, this study investigates the effects of social media usage on attitude polarization and connects it to political participation in refugee-related activities. A panel study conducted among Danish citizens (n=847) reveals that frequent social media usage contributes to a reinforcement of existing attitudes and at the same time mobilizes political participation. However, citizens who become more extreme in their attitude towards immigration are found to be less likely to become politically active about it.

Author

• Jakob Ohme, U of Southern Denmark, Centre for Journalism