Heterogeneity of Facebook friend network facilitates political learning: Evidence from a panel survey during the 2016 US presidential campaign

Abstract

This study examined the effects of Facebook network heterogeneity on campaign knowledge gain by looking at the process where heterogeneity facilitates exposure to information about elections. Findings suggested that Facebook network heterogeneity promoted exposure to campaign information that, in turn, predicted knowledge about candidate issue positions. This indirect effect of network heterogeneity was conditioned by the level of campaign interest. To elaborate, a more heterogeneous Facebook network was positively associated with campaign knowledge for people with lower levels of campaign interest, suggesting that Facebook has the potential to narrow the knowledge gap between the politically attentive and the politically inattentive. Implications of the findings are discussed.