Impact of Digitalization and Trust on Non-Voting Behavior from European Comparative Perspective

The concepts of trust and distrust in the digital society are increasingly relevant, particularly in the context of modern data-driven technologies and their implementation. Existing definitions of trust and distrust, when applied to these technologies, shape how citizens engage with political institutions and influence behaviors such as voting or non-voting. This study explores the relationship between digitalization and political engagement, with a focus on non-voting behavior in national and EU elections, which poses a threat to democratic stability by amplifying the impact of populist and right-wing movements.

Building on the premises that unemployment is a key predictor of non-voting (Aasve, et al. 2024), that low trust in political institutions exacerbates disengagement, and that the rise of authoritarian populism is more closely tied to cultural shifts and generational factors than purely political or economic conditions (Norris and Inglehart 2019), this research seeks to understand how digital technologies and trust, in their current conceptualizations, influence voter behavior.

At the individual level, this study examines how digital skills, employment status, age, and residence impact non-voting behavior. We hypothesize that while higher digital skills may foster political engagement, unemployment and age could deepen distrust and contribute to disengagement. On a macro level, the study investigates how trust in institutions and the degree of digitalization, as measured by the Digital Economy and Society Index, interact with national and regional unemployment rates to influence political participation.

Utilizing data from the European Social Survey Round 10, which includes a module on Digital Social Contacts in work and family life across a number of European countries, this research offers a comparative perspective on how digitalization and the evolving dynamics of trust and distrust shape non-voting behavior. By analyzing these multifaceted factors, the study seeks to inform strategies aimed at enhancing democratic participation in an increasingly digitalized society.