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Flames and Debates: Do Social Media Affect Satisfaction with Democracy?

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  • Andrea Ceron
  • Vincenzo Memoli

Abstract

Media plays an important role in defining the quality of democracy in consolidated democracy. Internet, in turn, can wield effects on democracy and many scholars have investigated such relationship. Moving from this literature we use Eurobarometer data to estimate the effect of Internet on the satisfaction with the functioning of democracy among European citizens. The results show that Internet usage, per se, has no effect on the satisfaction with democracy. However, the consumption of online news can make the difference, even though this effect is positive when users consume news from online traditional media while social media has a negative effect, which is mediated by the level of online disagreement and the potential emergence of flames. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Ceron & Vincenzo Memoli, 2016. "Flames and Debates: Do Social Media Affect Satisfaction with Democracy?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 225-240, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:126:y:2016:i:1:p:225-240
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-0893-x
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