Relations between different components of group identification and types of social media political participation in the context of the Fridays for Future movement

Abstract

Social media revolutionized political participation possibilities, and movements like Fridays for Future (FFF) rely on them. Understanding the factors driving the novel online modes of political participation is crucial. Consequently, this project explores the relations between diverse group identification components and social media political participation types in the context of FFF, drawing on the Social Identity Model of Pro-Environmental Action and extending previous work by treating group identification as multidimensional construct.Two German quota samples (N = 619, 45 % men; N = 616, 44 % men) completed online surveys assessing group identification components and social media political participation types applied to the FFF context. Generalized linear models were used to investigate their relations.Centrality – the extent to which individuals perceive their membership in FFF as an important aspect of their self-concept – was the strongest and most consistent predictor of Counter, Follower, and Expressive Engagement via social media in both samples. Additionally, each social media political participation type exhibited distinct connections with different group identification components.These results underscore the relevance of group identification in emerging forms of social media political participation. The diverse connections between distinct group identification components and participation types underscore the need to examine both considering their diverse forms.