Relating Social Media Diffusion, Education Level and Cybersecurity Protection Mechanisms to E-Participation...

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Information Science
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Virtual Social Networks (VSN) are vital for citizen engagement in information sharing and decision-making.
• e-participation tools leverage VSNs for real-time, geographically dispersed communication.
• Cybersecurity is critical for protecting user privacy and preventing issues like misinformation and scams in e-participation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of cybersecurity and education on the relationship between VSN diffusion and e-participation.
• To analyze these effects across different e-participation stages (e-information, e-consultation, e-decision making).
• To examine the influence of five cybersecurity dimensions (legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, cooperation).

Main Methods:

• A research model was developed based on Protection Motivation Theory, Structuration Theory, and Endogenous Growth Theory.
• Analysis utilized publicly available data from 115 countries.
• The model investigated the intervening effects of cybersecurity and education on VSN-driven e-participation.

Main Results:

• Increased VSN usage positively correlates with enhanced e-participation, particularly in e-consultation and e-decision making.
• Improved cybersecurity protection and public education significantly boost e-participation.
• The importance of specific cybersecurity measures varies across different stages of e-participation.

Conclusions:

• Cybersecurity and public education are essential for successful VSN-based e-participation.
• Regulations, policies, technical frameworks, and research are vital for ensuring cybersecurity.
• Education empowers citizens for productive participation in online democratic activities.