Effects of Internet use on college students' political efficacy

This study examines the relationship between three types of Internet use (information, entertainment, and interactive contacts) and two types of political efficacy (external and internal) among U. S. college students. Information related Internet use and interactive contacts predict college students' internal political efficacy. An unexpected finding was that visiting public agency sites negatively influenced college students' external political efficacy. This implies that the quality of current public sites is below the expectation of college students and that respondents who visited those sites might develop political cynicism. This study also reveals that online news sites are becoming a primary news source for college students.