Forms of online political participation and hybrid styles. The response of a sample of Italians to a web survey

Today we are witnessing an increasing diffusion of innovative ways of political and social participation which, compared to traditional ones, do not necessarily represent alternatives, often giving rise to constantly evolving hybrid styles. As observers of the “Network Society”, we look at the Internet as an inexhaustible source of information about society and an ideal context in which doing research. Thus, the web represents a crucial object of study. The new modes of political participation are born and develop precisely starting from the Internet, although they merge with practices of engagement outside the web. The socio-political context in which the study is located is the current Italian tripolar system, in which post-ideological political forces are increasingly strong and rooted; a resentful and discouraged voter prevails in it, disappointed both by the old political class and by the traditional media-system, which is aimed at new political forces and figures, as well as new media and the web. In highlighting the differences among electoral targets, we expose the main results of a web survey about the media diet and information channels, conducted on a sample of Italians. Furthermore, we examine online/offline activism, as the promotion and reception of online/offline political content.