How Internet Content Mobilizes Protests: The Case of Two Anti-Government Protests in Korea

Abstract

This study enhances our understanding of the interplay between Internet content and protests. Utilizing 47 in-depth interviews conducted during two mass protests in South Korea, the study investigated how Internet content affects the mobilization of people and if or how the emergence of social networking sites (SNSs) has changed Internet use. Applying qualitative methods, it revealed that the Internet helps mobilize protests by providing a space for reproduced and affective content and exposing people to multiple perspectives against which they can test the legitimacy of their personal beliefs. The study showed that, unlike the Internet, SNSs are less-than-ideal tools for political participation. By focusing on Internet content and examining the use and perception of the Internet in two protests separated by an 8-year interval, this study makes unique contributions in the realm of the Internet and mobilization.