Youth Political Participation in Portugal: The Role of Social Media in Mobilization and Civic Engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34630/tth.v6i1.7297

Keywords:

Political participation, Young People, Social media, Mobilization, Civic engagement

Abstract

This exploratory and reflective article analyses the role of social media in the political mobilization and civic engagement of young people in Portugal. Young people play a fundamental role in our society, since they are the safeguard of its future. However, many times, some doubts emerge about their role in politics, not just in Portugal, but in the rest of the world as well. This article analyzes the role of social networks in the mobilization and civic engagement of young people, demonstrating that, despite the distancing from traditional forms of participation, there is a growing political involvement through digital media.

References

Bennett, W. L., & Segerberg, A. (2012). The logic of connective action: Digital media and the personalization of contentious politics.Information, Communication & Society, 15(5), 739–768. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2012.670661

Boulianne, S. (2015). Social media use and participation: A meta-analysis of current research. Information, Communication & Society, 18(5), 524–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1008542

Boulianne, S., & Theocharis, Y. (2020). Young people, digital media, and engagement: A meta-analysis of research. Social Science Computer Review, 38(2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439318814190

Castells, M. (2012).Networks of outrage and hope: Social movements in the Internet age. Polity Press.

Earl, J., Maher, T. V., & Elliott, T. (2017). Youth, activism, and social movements. Sociology Compass, 11(4), e12465. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12465

European Commission. (2025). Flash Eurobarometer 545: Youth and Democracy (ZA8821; Version 1.1.0) [Data set]. GESIS Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.4232/1.14508

Fernández Guzmán Grassi, E., Portos, M., & Felicetti, A. (2024). Young people’s attitudes towards democracy and political participation: Evidence from a cross-European study. Government and Opposition, 59(2), 582–604.https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2023.16

Loader, B. D., Vromen, A., & Xenos, M. (2014). The networked young citizen: Social media, political participation and civic engagement.Information, Communication & Society, 17(2), 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.871571

Matos, R., Soares, M., Torres, J., & Maia, R. L. (2023). Estudo sobre a participação política juvenil em Portugal: Resultados de um inquérito online e de grupos de discussão com jovens: Relatório final. Conselho Nacional da Juventude.

Morozov, E. (2011).The net delusion: The dark side of internet freedom. PublicAffairs.

Nguyen, C. T. (2020). Echo chambers and epistemic bubbles. Episteme, 17(2), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.1017/epi.2018.32

Theocharis, Y. (2015). The conceptualization of digitally networked participation. Social Media + Society, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305115610140

Published

2026-07:-27

How to Cite

Vilhena , D. (2026). Youth Political Participation in Portugal: The Role of Social Media in Mobilization and Civic Engagement. The Trends Hub, Revista De Tendências Em Comunicação E Ciências Empresariais, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.34630/tth.v6i1.7297