Linking Exposure to Uncivil Online Comments to Decreased Political Knowledge: The Mediating Role of Active News Avoidance

Authors

  • Alberto Ardèvol-Abreu Universidad de La Laguna Laboratorio de Investigación sobre Medios y sus Efectos (LIME)
  • Héctor Centeno Martín Universidad de La Laguna
  • Sheila Guerrero Rojas Universidad de La Laguna

Keywords:

political knowledge, intentional news avoidance, uncivil news comments, social media, online news

Abstract

A relatively small but growing body of literature has examined incivility in online news comments and its consequences on democratic orientations, especially in the U.S. context. However, we still lack a detailed understanding of the processes and mechanisms that may be triggered by exposure to this particular type of online discourse. Using original survey data collected from a large, national sample of residents in Spain (N = 1,207), this study seeks to elucidate the direct and indirect relationships between exposure to uncivil news comments, intentional news avoidance, and political knowledge. Results indicate that exposure to uncivil comments online positively correlates with news avoidance and is indirectly associated with reduced political knowledge through news avoidance. We did not find evidence of an interaction between exposure to incivility and gender in predicting news avoidance. Results are discussed with a broader reflection on the role of social media use in political knowledge and democratic governance in general.

Author Biographies

Alberto Ardèvol-Abreu, Universidad de La Laguna Laboratorio de Investigación sobre Medios y sus Efectos (LIME)

Associate Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Social Work, Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)Director, Laboratorio de Investigación sobre Medios y sus Efctos (LIME), Universidad de La LagunaPhone: (+34)922 317261

Héctor Centeno Martín, Universidad de La Laguna

Postdoctoral fellow ('contratado Margarita Salas'),  Department of Communication Sciences and Social Work, Universidad de La Laguna (Spain).Phone: (+34)922317247

Sheila Guerrero Rojas, Universidad de La Laguna

PhD candidate in the Psychology Doctoral program, Universidad de La Laguna (Spain). Phone: (+34)626628279

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Published

2024-06-28

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Section

Articles