Social Media As a Tool for Youth Involvement

Abstract

This article contains the results of the empirical study devoted to the problem of Russian youth political involvement and the influence of social media on the young people’s political activities. The study was in years 2018–2019. The study used quantitative method for collecting primary data (survey). The sample of the survey was 600 respondents. The respondents were young people studying at colleges and universities in Russian central region (18 districts). The study examines the political involvement of youth and the impact of social media on the young people political involvement. The survey has revealed the specifics of young people using different information channels to obtain news, thematic features of the information consumed, the degree of confidence in information, the attitude of young people towards politics, characteristics of political behavior, specifics of decision-making in crisis situations and patriotic sentiment among young people. The study has fixed the active use of online communication channels by young people, and their contradictory opinions on this question. They actively consume political information, but believe that they are not interested in politics; they are not involved and do not want to get involved in political activities, but they are ready to participate in protest movements; they have patriotic sentiments, but are not ready to contribute to the solving of political problems in the country.