Mobile communication and public affairs engagement in Korea: an examination of non-linear relationships between mobile phone use and engagement across age groups

Mobile media activity breadth and political engagement: an online resource perspective

“…In doing so, this study responds to the need for greater depth of theoretical understanding of the role of mobile media in politics by linking findings about mobile media's influence on political engagement with previous studies focused on other ICTs (Wei, 2013). Therefore, these results contribute to the emerging area of mobile communication research that has found a significant positive influence of mobile media on outcomes in public and civic life based on contingent conditions such as intensity of informational use, competence, and breadth of mobile media activities (Campbell and Kwak, 2010, 2011a, 2011bKwak et al, 2011;Wei, 2014).…”

“…The relatively limited body of research focused solely on mobile communication and political resources demonstrates a modest but consistently positive influence of mobile media on political engagement (Campbell and Kwak, 2010, 2011a, 2011bKwak et al, 2011;Rojas and Puig Abril, 2009). A collection of studies has found that engagement with political and civic life has been positively associated with variables measuring mobile media activity breadth in the form of greater levels of comfort with mobile phones, more frequent usage of mobile media for information exchange, higher levels of intensity of smartphone usage, mobile microblogging, mobile social networking, and using smartphone applications (Campbell and Kwak, 2010;Hwang and Park, 2013;Park, Han and Kaid, 2012;Yamamoto, Kushin and Dalisay, 2013;Wei, 2014).…”

“…The second research question investigates to what extent mobile media activity breadth interacts with political interest to influence political engagement. Although online resource theory suggests that ICT use should lead to usage development that equalises opportunities for online political engagement (Krueger, 2002), studies examining discrepancies in individual-level political effects of ICTs have produced mixed results regarding the compounded advantages of traditional resource indicators such as socioeconomic advantage and political interest (Kwak et al, 2011). Previous studies investigating how political interest and ICT use interact have been concerned with the expansion or constriction of online political engagement opportunities, and these approaches have been variously labelled facilitating vs. reinforcing (Hargittai and Shaw, 2013;Kwak et al, 2011); mobilising vs. normalising (Hirzalla, van Zoonen and de Ridder, 2011); and instrumental vs. psychological effects (Xenos and Moy, 2007).…”

“…Specific to mobile media, Kwak et al (2011) found that informational mobile phone use was positively related to the likelihood of offline civic and political engagement. They concluded that mobile media most greatly benefitted individuals who were already interested and engaged offline civically and politically.…”

“…Scholars have identified the need for a more holistic view of mobile media's role in politics that connects with other areas of research on ICTs and communication processes (Wei, 2013). Research that examines mobile media and political engagement at the individual level also has clear significance for helping resolve related theoretical discussions regarding mobile communication's distinctive role in public life (Kwak et al, 2011).…”