Social media's impact on civic engagement in Mexico
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Authors
Hopf, Aries C.
Subjects
social media
civic engagement
Mexico
civic awareness
collective action
collective identity
political activism
social movement
civic society
digital revolution
Twitter
Tlatelolco
civic engagement
Mexico
civic awareness
collective action
collective identity
political activism
social movement
civic society
digital revolution
Tlatelolco
Advisors
Nieto-Gomez, Rodrigo
Date of Issue
2016-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Since the advent of the Internet, Mexico has embraced and utilized social media at a dramatically increasing rate. Today, 54 million Mexican citizens collaborate via online communities more avidly than those in some developed countries. But has the increase in social media activity fostered civic engagement in Mexico? This thesis argues that it predominately has. Specifically, social media has increased civic awareness, broadened collective action, and strengthened political activism in Mexico. However, one aspect of civic engagement social media has yet to change is Mexico's collective identity. This thesis analyzes the 1968 Tlatelolco student movement and the 1985 Mexico City earthquake's social mobilizations as catalyst events for the birth of civil society. Society rallied to establish a myriad of social and political organizations built to foster citizenry and community. The Internet revolution in the early 1990s further opened platforms for activists to engage in and campaign on issues important to them. The success of Twitter movements #NoteAnules, #InternetNecesario, and #AyotzinapaSomosTodos instilled confidence in the effectiveness of social media as a tool for activism. Through understanding of social media, engaged e-citizens can continue to make informed political decisions, increase social capital of the nation, and bring Mexico closer to being a liberal democratic nation.
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Thesis
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Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.