ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a more nuanced view of the role of social media in the process of youth engagement. The evidence suggests that relational, informational and even entertainment-oriented uses of social media have a positive role in nurturing social ties among young people in Singapore. These social ties in turn are of great importance for developing a sense of civic efficacy, which is an indispensable factor in the process of civic engagement. Still, it's clear that, beyond their positive role in fostering close social ties, entertainment-oriented uses of social media may still take time away from other pursuits and distract young citizens from engaging in more individualistic and loosely structured civic activities. The chapter discusses civic participation to be any voluntary activity of public interest undertaken by citizens, by which they aim to make a contribution to the community or society. The literature on civic participation often addresses the issue of efficacy, be it self-efficacy, political efficacy or collective efficacy.
