Divergent views – social media experts and young citizens on politics 2.0.

Kaun, A., Carina Guyard (2011). Divergent views – social media experts and young citizens on politics 2.0.. International Journal of Electronic Governance, 4(1,2), 104-120.

Abstract: Political election campaigns often function as test sites for new communication technologies and strategies. Prior to the Swedish national election 2010, the Swedish public was dominated by a discourse on the revolutionising potential of new media for political campaigning and restyling of democracy. In particular, the participatory potential of social media was celebrated. 'Confronting' the main claims of prominent Swedish social media handbooks with the perceptions of one important voter segment, namely students, this paper aims to present major contradictions characterising the present discourse on democracy 2.0 showing a tremendous gap between the potential voters and their actual practices.