Creating citizens

According to the report,39 per cent of Americans took part in some kind of political activity on a social networking site during the 2012 campaign more than the share of Americans who used social media for any purpose at all in 2008. Whats more interesting is that 63 per cent of the people who are politically active online replicate that behaviour offline by,for instance,attending a rally. They are also more likely to contact their representative.

There is little about these findings that indicates that social media has disrupted political behaviour and outcomes in a way that other media havent. The Pew researchers conclude that social media has not radically altered the economic profile of those involved in politics in America wealthy,better-educated people are still more likely to be active on social networking sites. Yet,as smartphones become more popular for the first time ever,global smartphone shipments overtook sales of feature phones in the first quarter of 2013 increased access to political representatives and information about politics bring with it the possibility of deeper civic engagement,creating more political citizens.