How geographic mobility contributes to exposure to political difference on social media platforms

Abstract

Prevalent theory explaining why and how people encounter political difference on social media platforms ascribes an important role for weakened geographic boundaries. Yet, research has yet to test the role of geography in producing these encounters. This study fills that gap in the literature by testing the proposition that the more a person moves, the more political difference they will encounter on social media platforms. To do so, the study offers a constructive critique and amendment of theory to incorporate geographic mobility and geographic difference in political discussion. Then, drawing on a national online survey sample reflecting the target population of adult internet users in the United States (N = 1493), it uses confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the relationships between these variables and other dimensions of difference in political discussion on social media platforms. Results show geographic mobility is indirectly related to political difference through geographic difference. Results are discussed in light of their implications for our understanding of how media technologies contribute to political communication in contemporary American society.