Social media as a tool for social movements: the effect of social media use and social capital on intention to participate in social movements

Social media provide a participatory media environment based on the interactive Web 2.0 platform. This feature makes social media an effective tool for mobilizing people to participate in social movements. This study verified the role of social media in promoting the intention to participate in social movements. Participation intent was higher among those who were more involved in social media. The findings showed that social media improved the social capital which moderates the relationship between social media use and social movement participation. The result of the hierarchical regression shows that bridging social capital had a significant effect on the intention to participate in social movements. Further, a moderating effect from bridging social capital was verified; the intent to engage in social participation was higher among social media users possessing a well-developed network.