Internet & Politics

Question 1

Attracting younger audiences to politics

learning & preference trade-offs

Answer 1

1. Young people learn more from the internet and prefer the internet if they know how to use it, but are less politically engaged.

Question 2

Online & Offline learning comparison

Answer 2

Compared to print readers, online readers:

1. Are exposed to fewer public affairs news stories
2. Recall fewer public affair news stories
3. Recall fewer facts about public affairs news
4. Displayed different agenda-setting effects

Question 3

Hyperlinks & Effects on Learning

Answer 3

1. When there are no hyperlinks, people learn more and retain more factual knowledge.
2. Effects:
   - -Hyperlinks are a matrix of mnemonic devices
   - -Help people see more connections between topics
   - -Hyperlinks work the way our schemas work–one topic connects to another

Question 4

Praiser: Filter Bubble

Answer 4

Filter bubble blocks out all things in our society that are important but complex or unpleasant. Renders them invisible and its not just the issues but the whole political process that disappears.

Question 5

Praiser: Friendly World Syndrome

Answer 5

Arises from personalization and abilitliy to filter the news that gets to us. Important problems are lost and the good, happy news gets to us. We believe the world is better than it is.

Question 6

Facebook and Voting study

Answer 6

1. 600,000 people on FB received a GotV message, and another 600,000 did not.
2. Voter turnout between the two groups was compared.
3. GotV caused 60,000 votes directly and 280,000 indirect votes (friends of friends; social contagion effect).