An Exploratory Examination of Young People's Motivations for Political Engagement on Facebook

Political uses of Social-Networking Sites (SNS) like Facebook are on the rise, especially among young people. This study uses a convenience sample of undergraduate students to uncover the motivations for engaging in four Facebook political activities. In addition, we examine the prevalence of these activities as well as political predispositions that may affect the extent to which a user participates politically on Facebook. The results suggest that a decent number of young people are using Facebook in political ways. The motivations engaging in politics Facebook are social, informational, entertainment, and self-presentation. However, the motivations for engaging in politics on Facebook vary by activity, suggesting that individuals politically participate with Facebook for different reasons. The political implications are discussed.

以Facebook为代表的社交网站（Social-Networking Sites, SNS）的政治相关使用行为正呈上升趋势，在年轻群体中尤为显著。本研究采用便利抽样的本科生样本，旨在探究用户参与四类Facebook政治活动的动机。此外，本研究还考察了此类活动的流行程度，以及可能影响用户在Facebook上参与政治活动程度的政治倾向。研究结果显示，为数不少的年轻人会以政治相关方式使用Facebook。用户在Facebook上参与政治活动的动机可分为社交型、信息型、娱乐型与自我呈现型四类。不过，不同政治活动对应的参与动机存在差异，这表明用户借助Facebook参与政治活动的动因各不相同。本研究最后对其蕴含的政治意涵展开了探讨。