Between trust and skepticism: unpacking the impact of social media skepticism on online political participation

Despite the increasing social media skepticism in an era of online misinformation, its sociopolitical consequences remain under-explored. This study is among a few that examine the effect of skepticism on online political engagement. With an online sample collected from the U.S., we find a negative impact of social media skepticism on online political participation, mediated by social media news use and expressive use. Furthermore, cognitive ability moderates this relationship, with the negative indirect effect being more pronounced among individuals with lower cognitive ability. This research highlights the potential democratic implications of social media skepticism and enriches the knowledge of its underlying psychological mechanisms. Moreover, it offers a nuanced understanding of the contingent effect of cognitive ability, suggesting its crucial role in mitigating social media skepticism’s adverse effects. This research provides valuable insights for navigating the evolving media landscape.