Flutterby™! : Broadband & Civic Participation

Journal of Public Economics, Volume 206, February 2022, 104578: Broadband Internet and social capital

Merging information on the topology of the network with geocoded longitudinal data about individual social capital from 1997 to 2017, we show that access to fast Internet caused a significant decline in civic and political engagement. Overall, our results suggest that broadband penetration crowded out several dimensions of social capital.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2021.104578

Guardian: Faster internet speeds linked to lower civic engagement in UK — Study finds involvement in political parties, trade unions and volunteering falls as web speeds rise

Republic World: Faster Internet Speed Linked To Lower Civic Participation, Claims Study — Researchers from Cardiff University & Sapienza claimed that people’s political activism seems to be inversely proportional to their internet connection speed.