Exploring the influence of online media on political participation in a postcolonial multi-ethnic context: evidence from Bolivia

Limited research attention was given to the impact of online media on political participation in Latin American countries that face acute social tensions stemming from colonial histories and multi-ethnic societies. This study addresses this gap by examining a national sample of 1945 Bolivians. Primarily drawing on social identity theory, it investigates how informational online media use influences political participation, the pathways of influence, and the specific role of perceived indigeneity. A moderated serial mediation analysis reveals a significant positive direct, alongside two significant negative indirect effects of online media use on political participation, including a specific indirect effect through perceived government performance and a serial mediation indirect effect through perceived government performance and political trust. Furthermore, the data highlights that indigenous people exhibit higher levels of satisfaction with government performance, greater political trust, and more active political participation. This study contributes to the existing literature on the effects of online media and offers new perspectives on political communication studies in multi-ethnic postcolonial nations.