Delegated Citizenship: Exploring Young Irish Adults’ Reliance on Social Media Influencers for Political Sense-Making and Its Impact on Their Political Understanding and Behaviour
Preview
My research explores whether, why and how young Irish adults may come to rely on social media influencers and online commentators for aspects of political sense-making. Drawing on 15 semi-structured interviews, it moves beyond simply asking whether SMIs influence citizens to examine the demand side of this relationship: how and why young people may “outsource” elements of political interpretation and judgement to these emerging digital actors. I introduce the concept of “delegated citizenship” to capture this conscious or unconscious reliance, and consider what it might mean for the public sphere and democracy more broadly.
This summer has been such an adventure and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to take this project from an initial question through interviews, analysis and, finally, this paper. Speaking directly with young people across Ireland and hearing their experiences and perspectives has been one of the most rewarding parts of the process, and I’ve learned an enormous amount along the way.
A huge thank you to the Laidlaw Foundation, and particularly to Kate, Darren and Orla from the Laidlaw team at Trinity College Dublin, for making this research possible and for all their support and encouragement throughout Summer 1.
I’m also especially grateful to my supervisors, Dr. Roderick Condon and Dr. Tom Paskhalis, for their guidance, feedback and encouragement throughout the research process, and, of course, to everyone who generously gave their time to participate in the study and share their perspectives. This research would not have been possible without them.
I’m very excited to continue developing these ideas as I move into the next stage of my Laidlaw journey, and to begin turning my learning into action.
Hello! My name is Anna Halvey, and I am an undergraduate student of Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology (PPES) at Trinity College Dublin and a member of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholars 2026 cohort.
I am broadly interested in political behaviour, public discourse, and the ways technology shapes how we understand and engage with the world.
As such, my summer research project, Delegated Citizenship in the New Public Sphere, explores the growing role of social media influencers in shaping political understanding and behaviour in an Irish context. Rather than relying primarily on traditional political institutions or mainstream news media, many citizens now engage with digital intermediaries who frame, simplify, and interpret political information on their behalf. Drawing on survey data and semi-structured interviews, I will examine whether Irish citizens are increasingly outsourcing political judgement to these actors, how this shapes political behaviour, and what implications this may have for the public sphere. In light of ongoing policy debates around democratic protection, the era of misinformation, and the rise of populism and post-truth politics, I believe this is a particularly important moment to study how political understanding is formed in digitally mediated environments.
My interests outside academia reflect these themes. I have a history of environmental, gender equality, and mental health activism at a local and national level. I am particularly interested in policy addressing climate (in)justice and the protection of human rights. Beyond this, I love being out in nature, learning about subjects outside my discipline, and trying a different genre of music every week.
Feel free to reach out if you have questions, want to discuss research, or simply chat about your niche interests - I would love to hear from you!
