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Antonova N.L. [Teens’ online activity as a form of civic participation] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2023, Vol. 14, No. 3. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/12SCSK323.pdf (in Russian).

Teens’ online activity as a form of civic participation

Antonova Natalya Leonidovna
Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia
E-mail: n.l.antonova@urfu.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-4970
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=135864
WoS: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/rid/Q-1495-2015
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=57038433100

Abstract. The article analyzes the online activity of the younger generation as a form of civic participation based on the materials of sociological research. Digitalization of all spheres of social life is becoming a factor in the manifestation of new forms of civic participation using information and communication technologies. In this paper, civic participation is understood as a set of actions and interactions of individuals and groups aimed at solving urgent problems. Institutional and legal limitations of the younger generation’s co-participation in solving topical issues and declaring a political position in electoral practices becomes an incentive to determine their civic position through the practices of small affairs and online activity. The sociological study, the object of which were teenagers from 14 to 17 years old, living in large cities of the Sverdlovsk region (n = 520), was conducted in 2022. Based on the survey materials in the article, it is argued that the younger generation feels a sense of responsibility, first of all, for their place of residence (home/yard) and in the digital environment most often takes the position of an observer and «couch activist», focused on supporting projects with «likes» and voting on city websites. According to respondents, the main advantage of online activity, which provides equal chances for all citizens to express their opinion, is the possibility to participate in a large number of projects at the same time. The motivational structure of civic participation includes personal interest in the topic of the project, experience/invitation of friends and acquaintances, as well as the effectiveness of co-participation. A significant barrier to online activity as a form of civic participation can be the lack of faith in the success of the dialog between citizens and the power structure, in which individuals become full-fledged subjects of decision-making on socially important issues.

Keywords: online activity; civic participation; teenagers; slacktivism; digitalization; motivation; barriers

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