A Bigger Pie: The Effects of High-Speed Internet on Political Behavior
Dublin Core
Title
A Bigger Pie: The Effects of High-Speed Internet on Political Behavior
Subject
Political Communication, Political Behavior, Internet Speed, Digital Divide, Political Information, Broadband
Description
The impact of broader media choice on political behavior is central to the study of political communication. The availability of high-speed Internet, which allows for high bandwidth media
on demand, has given consumers virtually unlimited information choices. Most research assumes that the time spent online is fixed; therefore, broader media choice decreases news consumption, political knowledge, and turnout, especially among the politically uninterested. In this article, I explore another possibility: as Internet quality improves, we spend more time online and consume more information, which subsequently increases knowledge and turnout. To test this possibility, I
link geocoded Internet download speed data with survey data. A series of studies indicate that higher
quality Internet increases political information search, news consumption, and political knowledge,
although perhaps not turnout. This work suggests that our assumption of trade-offs between news
consumption and entertainment may need reconsideration.
on demand, has given consumers virtually unlimited information choices. Most research assumes that the time spent online is fixed; therefore, broader media choice decreases news consumption, political knowledge, and turnout, especially among the politically uninterested. In this article, I explore another possibility: as Internet quality improves, we spend more time online and consume more information, which subsequently increases knowledge and turnout. To test this possibility, I
link geocoded Internet download speed data with survey data. A series of studies indicate that higher
quality Internet increases political information search, news consumption, and political knowledge,
although perhaps not turnout. This work suggests that our assumption of trade-offs between news
consumption and entertainment may need reconsideration.
Creator
Yphtach Lelkes
Source
https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/25/3/199/5838274
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Date
10 November 2019
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 25 (2020)
Files
Collection
Citation
Yphtach Lelkes, “A Bigger Pie: The Effects of High-Speed Internet on Political Behavior,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed May 20, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/8658.