The potential and prospects of political mobilization in the internet space: a review of empirical research in the global and Russian context

The article discusses a complex of scientific publications (mainly in 2012-2018) about the role of digital technologies in the development of protest activity in Russia and the world. There are different opinions about the potential of digital mobilization: efficiency of calls for political activity, using technologies for population mobilization, the specifics of traditional and new media in the process of political mobilization. Based on the analysis of modern empirical research, the authors reveal the trends of studying the Internet factor in the political process. The article provides an insight into the actual methods and sources of political science study of the role of the Internet. There is a difference in the scientific approaches of foreign and domestic researchers and the influence of the experience of the Russian opposition movement in 2011-2013 on the scientific discourse of Internet-study. Western researchers focused mainly on defining the qualitative differences between traditional and new media in the context of political conflicts in the third world countries. Russian scientists during the period of political stability in the second half of the 2010s are considering hidden mechanisms of manipulation, socialization and increasing civic consciousness in the digital space.