"Go, vote, and tweet it": Interactivity in online protest-related discussions about the 2014 Catalan Referendum for Independence Articles uri icon

publication date

  • August 2021

start page

  • 3864

end page

  • 3886

volume

  • 15

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1932-8036

abstract

  • While studies abound that examine protest-related citizen communicative behaviors
    taking place online, there is still a limited understanding of the factors associated with
    social media users engagement in 2-way interactive exchanges about the issue of protest.
    Using discussion threads as the unit of analysis, this study looks at potential predictors
    associated with users engagement in interactive discussions in the context of the 2014
    Catalan Referendum of Independence. Results show low overall levels of interactivity in
    discussions, with user status, media content sharing, negative emotion, and linguistic and
    ideological heterogeneity being related to lower interactivity levels. Findings are discussed
    within the framework of collective expressive modes of online citizen participation.

keywords

  • political discussion; twitter; social movements; interactivity; expressive participation