Civic Engagement via Social Media in Georgia

Author(s): Lia Tsuladze
Editor(s): Denis Dafflon, Lili Di Puppo, Iris Kempe, Natia Mestvirishvili, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines
Series: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD)
Issue: 61
Pages: 6-8
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2014

This article discusses the specifics of civic engagement via social media in Georgia and inquires whether and to what extent online civic activities translated into actions outside cyberspace. Based on the findings of a nation-wide representative survey among internet users, as well as in-depth interviews with media experts in Georgia, I argue that the frequency and scale of civic activities utilizing social media in Georgia are modest, with a small increase during pre-election periods or when certain sociopolitical issues come to the fore; otherwise Georgian social media does not offer a major platform for civic activities. However, with the growing number of users in Georgia, social media will likely have an increasing affect on the scale of both online and offline civic activities.

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