“Promotion” or “Separation”? Impacts of Short Videos on Online Political Participation Among YouthBased on Mediating Effects of Short Video Governance Perception

Based on the survey data, this study aims to explore how short videos, the most popular visual social media among young people, impact their online political participation. Aganinst the background of the government’s efforts to “improve and make innovative ways to carry out public awareness initiatives on positive content, strenthen governance of internet content, and shape a clear cyberspace”, this study also examines the impacts of government short videos, and the role and effects of the perception of short video governance as a mediating factor in this process. The results show that general short videos significantly weaken online political participation among the youth, and their perceptions of short video governance have no mediating effects on that, while government short videos significantly promote their online political participation. Among government short video users, young people have a better feeling for improvement governance (perception of information disclosure), which can further strengthen their online political participation. Even if they perceive and experience strong restrictive governance (perception of internet orderliness), it would not reduce their online political participation. Obviously, young users of government short videos generally accept this tense and orderly short video governance. Finally, according to the frequency of using government new media, active participants can be identified among young users and correct guidance can then be provided.