How Internet Use Incites Offline Collective Actions

Abstract

Targeted information retrieval is the most popular type of Internet use. In this chapter I will report research that demonstrated that acquiring information online — political news, real-time information from collective actions, practical information about events, or information about a group’s mission and norms — incites participation in collective actions that take place offline. I will discuss the potential underlying processes of these effects, distinguishing an intrapersonal and an intragroup perspective. Moreover, information that is gathered online can foster offline collective actions by promoting online discussions. I will refer to the impact of weak tie connections and highlight three group-level processes that are likely to be shaped by online interactions. That is, group identities may emerge, identification with these groups might be enhanced, and group identities can be politicized.