Information, expression, participation: How involvement in user- generated content relates to democratic engagement among young people

TLDR

Studies have linked citizens’ involvement in user‑generated content on the internet to democratic engagement. This study seeks to conceptualize and operationalize UGC involvement as a distinct audience experience grounded in expressivity, performance, and collaboration. It reframes UGC involvement beyond information processing, treating it as an expressive, performative, and collaborative engagement. Survey data from Swedish adolescents aged 13–17 reveal that UGC involvement predicts both offline and online political participation, yet is negatively associated with political knowledge, aligning with theories that expressive, performative, and collaborative features of UGC foster participation.

Abstract

A number of studies have linked citizens’ involvement in user-generated content (UGC) on the internet to democratic engagement. Whereas previous research implies a view of UGC involvement as the processing of political information, this study conceptualizes and operationalizes UGC involvement in terms of a distinct audience experience based on expressivity, performance and collaboration. Analysis of survey data from Swedish adolescents in the 13–17 age range shows that UGC involvement predicts offline as well as online political participation. In contrast to informational media use, however, UGC involvement is negatively related to political knowledge. The findings are compatible with recent theories suggesting that the expressive, performative and collaborative features of UGC involvement can promote political participation. Implications of the findings for youth democratic engagement are discussed.