Social media and support for democracy in 18 Latin American countries: A comparative analysis of moderated mediation (2018–2020)

Participating in social networks has become a controversial phenomenon. In this study, we explore the relationship between the type of social network used by citizens of 18 Latin American countries (moderated by age) and satisfaction with democracy, based on the mediation carried out by satisfaction with life and economic self-placement. To do so, we have prepared a moderated mediation analysis with the survey carried out by Latinobarómetro in 2018 and in 2020. The results confirm an indirect effect between the networks included and satisfaction with democracy, mediated by the proposed variables, in a majority of the cases.