Social Media as Mobilizer and Demobilizer: Evidence From Taiwan

Abstract

This study examines the effect of social media use on voter turnout. Given that different social media platforms provide different types of content and people use different social media platforms for different purposes, this study argues that there exist differentiated relationships between different types of social media and voter turnout. Using an original panel data set for the 2018 Taipei mayoral election in Taiwan, this study evaluates how five different types of social media—Facebook, LINE, YouTube, Instagram, and PTT—influence voter participation. The empirical results show that people with frequent use of Facebook and PTT are more likely to vote, whereas the frequent use of YouTube and Instagram decreases voter turnout. Furthermore, the use of LINE has no influence on voter participation. Overall, this study reveals that different types of social media exert heterogeneous effects on voter turnout and suggests that when it comes to the influence of social media on voter turnout, we should pay attention to not only the frequency of social media use but also the purpose of social media use.