Social media as an exit strategy? The role of attitudes of discontent in explaining non-electoral political participation among Belgian young adults

Abstract: Feelings of dissatisfaction with the political status quo are believed to mobilize citizens into non-institutional political action, such as protest. Still, little is known about whether and how political participation through social media provide an alternative voicing route for discontented citizens. Guided by grievance theory, this article assesses how both electoral exit behaviour (e.g., abstaining) and attitudes of political discontent (political and media trust, political hopelessness and populism) are associated with three modes of non-electoral political participation: instit... Mehr ...