Sharing and liking as youth nano-level participation. Finnish students’ civic and political engagement in social media

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the types and prevalence of Finnish students’ civic and political online participation such as posting, commenting, sharing or liking social media posts. We focus particularly on the use of Facebook like and share buttons for civic and political purposes, which we conceptualize as ‘nano-level participation’ and discuss in light of the debate on ‘slacktivism’. Our data comes from a classroom survey among 194 Finnish university students of social and political sciences and philosophy in 2017–2018. The data thus describe the using habits of a social media vanguard – young Finns who live and breathe social media and who are interested in social and political issues. Our results reveal the persisting importance of Facebook as a platform for youth engagement and emphasize the prevalence and significance of nano-level participation as a neglected form of youth online engagement.