Participants Needed for New Study into How Social Media, the Internet and Life Experiences Affect Political Views

Academics in Lincoln are seeking participants for a new study looking into how life experiences and the internet have an effect on people’s political views and engagement.

The study,  ‘Political Activism, the internet and the impact of life experiences’* is made up of two parts; an anonymised online survey and follow-up life history interviews. Participants will have the option of taking part in one, or both aspects of the project.

The initial online survey is made up of a series of questions about participants’ political attitudes, how engaged they are with politics and how these views have been shaped by their own life experiences.

Questions also cover social media use, and how platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have had an impact on the individual’s political attitudes as well as whether this makes them more or less inclined to take part in any form of political activism.

Those who complete the survey will then have the option of taking part in an interview later this year which will allow for a more in depth look at people’s experiences.

Lead researcher Dr Joshua Skoczylis from the University of Lincoln’s School of Social and Political Sciences explains: “The rise of things like social media has brought with it the ability for people to publically share their views, however extreme they may be, potentially with millions of people at the click of a button

“This study will allow us to gain an insight into how life experiences shape political views and engagement across the political spectrum and begin to shed light on some of the main influences behind them.”

For more information on how you can be involved with the study, visit: https://unioflincoln.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ezb4NRrB2xsaQHH or contact SocialResearch@lincoln.ac.uk

*Ethics reference number: 2019-Apr-0078