How did you become interested in your field of research?
I have been interested in journalism, media and communication since high school. So, I did my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in this field. I learned a lot about communication science, public relations and communication technologies. It was clear that I wanted to deepen and expand this knowledge during my PhD studies.
What is the main focus of your PhD?
My research focuses on the relationship between informational social media use and political or civic behavior. In recent years, the number of social media users has increased tremendously, and social media has become an important channel for news and political information for citizens worldwide. In contrast to the growing number of social media users, there has been a decline in voter turnout in political elections and political participation in general around the world. Considering also the threats and obstacles of social media, my research focuses on how social media can be used as a “democratic tool” and for the sake of democracy.
What are the main findings of your PhD?
My PhD thesis contributes to the scientific discussion of informational social media use, conspiracy beliefs, and political participation by examining direct effects between social media use and political participation, but also by considering indirect - mediating and moderating - effects on this relationship.
The results of this dissertation clearly show that social media serve as a tool to stimulate political expression as well as political and civic participation. At a glance, the main findings are that informational social media use is positively related to political participation, such as citizens’ intention to vote, and is negatively related to civic behavior, such as preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, informational social media use was positively related to conspiracy beliefs, which in turn were negatively related to preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who are your results aimed at and how can they be used?
My results are aimed at scholars in the field of communication science and social media, social media experts and practitioners in companies or governmental institutions, and the general public. The implications drawn from my scientific results can be used as a basis for further research, for education in the handling of social media, and in day-to-day work in the design of social media content containing political information.
Are there any results or discoveries you are surprised of?
I was not surprised, but it gave me a lot of food for thought that informational social media use was positively related to conspiracy beliefs, which in turn were negatively related to preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. This clearly illustrates the power of social media and the need to take more rigorous action against misinformation and fake news on social media.
If you were to do further research, what would you research?
As social media has become an integral part of our daily lives and is constantly evolving, it is essential that future research comprehensively addresses this field of study and that academic scholarship explores how social media, including all of its features and innovations, can be used for the benefit of democracy. So I would continue my research in this field. However, I would try to tackle smaller objects of investigation, such as specific use cases focusing explicitly on a social media platform, a particular group of social media users, or selected social media profiles.
