Young Citizens and Political Entertainment in Post-Communist Romania Bianca Mitu Ph.D. University of Bucharest

Indifference is the essence of inhumanity Indifference is the essence of inhumanity (George Bernard Show) The questions that guide this study are: does political entertainment make citizenship pleasurable, does it provide a context that leads to political engagement or disengagement for the young citizens?

Objectives to investigate the participants’ attitudes and issues towards political and civic engagement and establish key motivating and de-motivating factors to investigate the participants’ attitudes and issues towards political and civic engagement and establish key motivating and de-motivating factors to survey the participations’ patterns of Internet use, including their levels of online civic engagement, and explore how their civic attitudes translate into specific online preferences and expectations from different websites that provide civic content. to survey the participations’ patterns of Internet use, including their levels of online civic engagement, and explore how their civic attitudes translate into specific online preferences and expectations from different websites that provide civic content.

Theoretical background Coleman and Rowe, 2005 Coleman and Rowe, 2005 P. Norris 2000, P. Dahlgren 2009 P. Norris 2000, P. Dahlgren 2009 S. Livingstone, N. Couldry, T. Markham 2007, G. S. Mesch, S. Coleman 2007, C. H. de Vreese 2007 S. Livingstone, N. Couldry, T. Markham 2007, G. S. Mesch, S. Coleman 2007, C. H. de Vreese 2007 P. Dahlgren, 2009 P. Dahlgren, 2009 Van Zoonen, 2005 Van Zoonen, 2005

Young peoples sources of information

Young peoples use of Internet

Young peoples reasons for using the Internet

The Importance of Democracy

Participation to the last elections

Reasons for engagement

Reasons for not engaging

Conclusions Internet offers a great potential for political and civic engagement. Internet offers a great potential for political and civic engagement. The political entertainment is deceiving for the young people and determines them not to get involved in political issues. The political entertainment is deceiving for the young people and determines them not to get involved in political issues. Young peoples lack of engagement is increasing in post-communist Romania because of the lack of trust, efficiency or relevance. Young peoples lack of engagement is increasing in post-communist Romania because of the lack of trust, efficiency or relevance.

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