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.