Abstract
The study investigates the factors that inspire Moroccans to engage in both online and offline civic efforts. The inquiry targeted demographics, frequency of Facebook use, the influence of online engagement on participation in real life and the main motivations behind Moroccan civic engagement online. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were adopted to collect and analyze both primary and secondary data. An online survey was administered to (n=277) participants through Facebook targeting the general public of Moroccan Facebook users to collect primary data. Secondary data was collected via semi-structured interviews with (n=3) social activists to provide a comprehensive view of both normal citizens and people who can be considered specialists in the field. The findings revealed the extent to which Moroccans’ usage of Facebook influences their engagement both online and offline, indicating that social media use for civic purposes is significantly related to offline participation. Despite that, higher levels of the so-called “slacktivism” behaviors dominate Moroccans’ civic activities performed on Facebook. Findings in general support the fact that Facebook plays a significant role in the development of civic engagement in Morocco.
Highlights
With more than 6 million users, Facebook is classified number one in the top ten most visited websites in Morocco (Alexa)
Our results clearly show that Moroccans trust media as a means for change and that social networks are major motivations for online civic engagement
Considering the fact that Facebook and social media in general continue to become an integrated part of our contemporary society, researchers continue to examine the field from various standpoints, and this particular study aimed to investigate the role of Facebook in sustaining civic engagement in Morocco and add a step further to the accumulation of research in this direction
Summary
With more than 6 million users, Facebook is classified number one in the top ten most visited websites in Morocco (Alexa). The Platform transcends its primary function to become a margin where people’s need for action and involvement is enticed This ascending usage of Facebook in Morocco has drawn the interest of researchers and has been inquired from a wide range of perspectives namely how it is used Euler (2013), the influence of Facebook on religion (Al-Rawi, 2016), the community motivation in using Facebook (El Haouta & Idelhadj, 2018), and the role digital spaces play in shaping the youth’ civic identities and engagement (Cho, 2020). The article is published with Open Access at www.alscjournal.com
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