MEDIA USE, CRISIS AND OPTIMISM

This article investigates the influence exerted by the use of traditional and new media on people’s perceptions of the economic present and expectations of their own and the country’s economic future. The analysis takes place within an intensive economic crisis (the survey data used, published by Eurobarometer, were collected in 2013 on 28 European countries). In our analysis, among other independent variables, we focus on the role of media consumption in shaping the perceptions of both the present and future economic situation. The analysis proves that the intensive use of social media compared with the traditional media furnish a better picture of the individual’s economic future. The relation is explained in terms of social capital.