Rethinking social media and political engagement: An examination of the disconnective practices of politically active youths in Hong Kong

Social media have been widely credited for facilitating young people’s political engagement, most notably by providing a platform which is conducive for political expression. There has been little attention, however, to the possible pitfalls for young people in engaging with politics on social media. Through in-depth interviews, this study presents the paradoxical case of a group of politically active youths who have no qualms with participating in an offline large-scale protest but are wary of publicly engaging with politics on social media. The findings indicate that perceptions of hostility, social risk, and futility impede online political expressions while the promises of embodied experience draw participants toward offline participation. Rather than disengage with politics completely on social media, the young people in this study adopt certain “disconnective practices”—selected functions, audiences, and apps—to manage their relationships with others in their social networks who may or may not share their political views.