Essay
RM Assignment 1
- Course
- Institution
Written on the impact of internet use on left-right identification.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
microwavedlettuce
Content preview
The Impact of Internet Use on Left-Right PoliticalIdentification
Agnes
Student Number:
Research Methods
Paper 1
Tutorial 8
Tutor: Roberto Barbosa de Andrade Aragao
22/10/20
Word Count: 2988
1
, Introduction
Political communication is a rapidly expanding field of study (Chadwick and Howard 2009:
2). The internet specifically is hoped to have a positive effect on the state of democracy,
possibly helping to smoothen out some of the rougher edges we experience in politics
(Dahlgren 2006). Today the internet is used for multiple different political purposes, such as
protest networks and activism, as well as virtual campaigning and recruitment (Chadwick and
Howard 2009: 29). In this sense, it goes without saying that the internet plays a crucial role in
modern day politics and so research on its impact on political institutions proves to be
imperative. What is also vital to research – especially in the context of democracy – is how the
internet has an impact on individuals and their politics. This paper will look at the effect that
internet use has on the politics of individuals in the Netherlands, trying to answer the question
of how the frequency of internet use affects left-right identification.
Theory
There are a number of different ways to answer the question posed above and many factors that
could be explored. For example, it is possible that the living situation of an individual plays a
role in the relationship between internet use and left-right identification. Further, political trust
and unemployment can also easily be theoretically linked to an individual’s placement on the
left-right scale. Due to the vast amounts of possibilities for influencing factors on the
relationship between frequency of internet use and placement on the left-right scale, four main
ideas are hypothesised for this paper.
The first hypothesis is that higher frequency of internet use makes an individual place
more towards the right on the left-right scale. This comes from the fact that, despite the internet
often being used for political movements linked to the left, it has been found that the internet
is often dominated by right-wing groups who believe they need to spread their own political
information online in order to combat “fake news” (Schradie 2019). So, it is hypothesised that
an individual who uses the internet more frequently will be influenced by the dominant right-
wing groups and hence position themselves further towards the right on the left-right scale.
The second hypothesis is that individuals who live in big cities use the internet more
and are more likely to place towards the right on the left-right scale. This is based on the
assumption that individuals who live in urban areas have better and more frequent access to
the internet than individuals in rural areas. It is also based on the first hypothesis, that frequent
use of the internet makes an individual lean towards right-wing politics.
2
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller microwavedlettuce. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.85. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
47561 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now