Using the Pew Research Center's 2013 Survey of LGBT Americans, Copeland and co-author Dr. Amy B. Becker find that when people use social media to meet like-minded people or to discuss issues facing their community, the likelihood of participating in politics increases dramatically—by as many as 26 percentage points among those who are less interested in politics, and about 20 percentage points among those who are more interested in politics.
"The study shows that certain types of social media use reinforce the likelihood of participation among people who are already interested in politics, and mobilizes people who are less interested in politics to participate," Dr. Copeland notes. "These findings have important implications for any organization that wishes to mobilize people to participate in politics, including election campaigns."
Copeland also has a chapter in "Ethics and Morality in Consumption: Interdisciplinary Perspectives." The book is set to come out this fall.
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