Facebooking Youth’s everyday politics in Cambodia

• Published in: South East Asia research Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 219 - 234
• Main Authors: Vong, Mun, Hok, Kimhean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-09-2018
• Subjects: online activism; Cambodia; everyday politics; Facebook; social media; youth
• ISSN: 0967-828X; 2043-6874
• DOI: 10.1177/0967828X17754113

This article takes a critical view of online activism as its point of departure and explores how the activities of Cambodian youth on Facebook have spilled over into formal politics. Contrary to concerns that Facebook and other social media tools distract activists from more effective means of political participation, this article suggests that facebooking has contributed positively to offline political participation. More importantly, the petty acts of discussing and sharing information on Facebook have, on occasion, succeeded in triggering changes in government decisions and behaviours. In developing these arguments, we draw upon everyday politics perspectives which provide the theoretical ground to qualify facebooking as political and make sense of its importance.