Who will cross the border? – The transition of political discussion into the newly emerged venues

• This study analyzed survey data of a representative sample of US adults.
• Results provide support for the transition hypothesis of political discussion venues.
• Political interest and age are both significant moderators in the transition of political discussion.
• Test of a three-way interaction reveals the interplay between political interest and age.

This study explores the political implications of new communication technologies with a focus on their role as political discussion venues. Assuming that new technologies could expand the sphere for political discourse, we investigate the transition of citizens’ face-to-face political discussion into the computer-mediated online context. With analyses of a representative sample of US adults, this study explicates the link between the traditional and newly emerged discussion venues online. Our results reveal that significant differences in the transition pattern arise from variances in citizens’ political interest and age. In addition, in an attempt to reconcile the two seemingly conflicting hypotheses, we examine the role of political interest and age in the transition process within one integrated theoretical framework. Our findings highlight the conditions under which the democratic potential of the new venues becomes magnified, and draws attention to the importance of examining the dynamics underlying the transition of discussion venues.