Mobile instant messaging services and political participation: use and perception of usefulness by citizens in Spain

Abstract

Mobile instant messaging services such as WhatsApp or Telegram have enabled new possibilities for the reconfiguration of democracy. Despite their popularisation, there is still limited research analysing the role of citizenship on these digital platforms in relation to politics. Therefore, our objective is to analyse citizens’ use of mobile instant messaging services for political activity and their perception of these platforms’ usefulness for citizen participation. Additionally, we aim to determine the impact of sociopolitical factors on these uses. To achieve this, we conducted a survey through an online panel on the Qualtrics platform, launched in May 2023 and completed by 1,106 citizens residing in Spain. The results show that 91.32% of the surveyed users regularly use these digital platforms for political purposes, although their use significantly declines during election campaign periods. Generally, citizens are highly satisfied with using these platforms for involvement in public decisionmaking processes. Finally, it demonstrates how gender, ideology, and interest in politics are the most influential factors in the three variables analysed.