Psychological Factors of (Un)Conventional Online Political Activity Acceptability among Russian Youth

Russian youth represent a significant part of the population, playing a key role in the development of society and possessing high innovative potential. In the context of digitalization, young people, as the main users of digital technologies, have acquired new resources for the formation of political views and civic positions, as well as opportunities for active participation in the socio-political life of the country. However, this process has also increased the vulnerability of the younger generation to the influence of opposition political forces, which recognize its importance and use digital technologies for ideological impact. At the same time, a generalized approach to the study of political activity that ignores modern socio-political and technological changes highlights the need for a more in-depth analysis of the factors determining young people's political engagement. To date, the role of social capital in the political activity of young people in the digital space remains insufficiently studied, despite its obvious importance. Therefore, this study aims to examine the role of digital literacy in the relationship between social capital and the acceptability of (un)conventional online political activity among Russian youth aged 15 to 25 years. The results of a mediation analysis conducted using structural equation modeling showed that social capital was positively associated with the acceptability of both forms of online political activity, while digital literacy was positively associated with conventional online political activity and negatively associated with unconventional online political activity. Moreover, digital literacy mediated the relationship between social capital and conventional online political activity positively, and with unconventional online political activity negatively. Thus, the study revealed the significant role of social capital and digital literacy in shaping the acceptability of various forms of online political activity among young people, emphasizing their importance for further research in the context of digitalization.