Examining Social Media Usage Characteristics Among European Citizens and Its Influence on Civic Life: A Scoping Review

The popularity of social media has raised questions about the impact of these platforms on civic life. However, most research has focused on the United States, neglecting the cultural, political, and historical distinctions crucial for any understanding of civic life. In order to inform future research and provide relevant insights for policymakers and citizens, we conducted a scoping review of 59 records dealing with the relationship between European citizens' use of social media and their civic life. The findings revealed that 10 different spheres of civic life have been examined in the literature including migration, satisfaction with democracy, emergency management and European identity. The most often studied sphere was political participation, showing a positive association with social media use. However, the scoping review has also highlighted five factors that may nuance this relationship: citizens' characteristics (who), usage motivations (why), usage types (how), platform features (what) and usage context (when). Some of these factors transcended national boundaries, while others required careful consideration of the European context. The article concludes therefore by discussing avenues for future research.