Abstract

This study examined how Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok differently influenced digital civic education among 900 youth aged 18 to 25 during digital transformation and democratic consolidation in Colombia’s Caribbean coastal cities. The objective of the research was to test how platform-specific features differentially impact Digital Civic Education Index (DCEI) components and translate into distinct citizenship behaviors. Using stratified random sampling with socioeconomic quotas across three cities, data was collected through surveys at three time points, digital trace applications, and focus groups over twelve months. Statistical analysis employed latent growth curve modeling, hierarchical linear modeling, and mediation analysis with bootstrapping. Facebook most strongly enhanced civic process knowledge, Instagram improved media literacy, and TikTok developed communication skills. These differential pathways led to distinct citizenship outcomes: Facebook facilitated voting, Instagram encouraged activism, and TikTok promoted governance participation. Local digital infrastructure-moderated effects, creating differential opportunities with global implications for digital equity and democratic participation in emerging democracies worldwide.