Sola Morales, Salomé & Hernández Santaolalla, Víctor (2017).
Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 72, 629-648.
Introduction. The objective of this research is to explore the relationship between the voter turnout
and the new forms of participation of young Chileans and Spaniards, as well their perception about
politics and the forms of participation which seem most relevant to them. Methodology. In order to
do this, a comparative analysis between the two countries, with a sample of 928 university students
between the ages of 18 and 24 is realized. Results. The data showed some distrust of the current
democratic system. Additionally, while voter turnout decreases in Chile and Spain, other
unconventional –offline and online– political activities increase. Conclusions. Definitively, young
people are seeking greater participation as citizens in political affairs. Likewise, although many
students use social networks as channels to keep abreast of the activities of politicians, this use is still
low compared to that of other public figures.
