A Digital Movement of Opinion? Contesting Austerity Through Social Media

Abstract

Social media opinions, although expressed by generally more active citizenry, are emerging as an increasingly legitimate and influential form of public opinion. As social media allow to overcome the problem of hidden preferences and can favor political mobilization, these online opinions can also be linked with collective action. Accordingly, the present chapter examines the role of such digital voices as potential manifestations of “digital movements of opinion”. First, we employ a semi-automated content analysis technique to detect Eurosceptic attitudes on austerity in three European countries (France, Britain, and Italy). Second, we test the relationship between online skepticism and the propensity to broadcast on-line forms of anti-EU protests, rallies and demonstrations. Our analysis highlights that anti-austerity protest seems to boost the online debate on austerity.