From kitchen table to digital public arena: How close circles shape people's decisions to engage in political participation on social media platforms

Informal discussions with close circles remain central for political recruitment and participation, yet their role in shaping online political participation is insufficiently understood. Existing research explores the link between online discussion networks, characteristics of discussants, aspects of deliberations in citizens’ discussions, on one hand, and online political engagement, on the other hand, but much less is known about how close social circles influence citizens’ choices to engage politically on social media. This study addresses this gap by examining how people interpret and translate informal political conversations with strong-tie groups into online acts such as sharing content, expressing opinions, or engaging in debates. We use semi-structured interviews with Romanian citizens across diverse socio-demographic and political profiles to uncover cognitive processes, motivations, and interpersonal influences. We focus on Romania as a critical case, considering the low institutional trust, strong reliance on interpersonal networks and recent waves of digital political mobilisation. We use deductive thematic analysis to identify the conditions under which informal discussions encourage, inhibit, or reframe online political participation. The findings advance debates about online citizens’ engagement and contribute to a broader understanding of how informal relational mechanisms shape political behaviour in digital spaces.