Abstract

Nowadays social media platforms are popular venues for political participation, especially for those more distrustful of traditional institutions. However, the specific dynamics between users' motivations, platform affordances, and their effectiveness in achieving political and civic goals remain somewhat unclear. In this article, we explore the motivations and expectations of political outsiders to challenge their peripheral condition and how they leverage platform affordances to do so, using the case of the Chilean constitutional process (2021-2022). Specifically, we delve into the collective adoption of Discord, a platform initially designed for gamers, as a tool for pursuing democratic advances. Employing a multimethod strategy that involves netnography, focus groups, and interviews, we examine the motivations, strategies, and goals among a group of Chilean outsiders as they engage with the ongoing political process. We found the construction of a rich and complex collaborative and informative environment influenced and shaped by a combination of individual and collective drivers. Notably, the feeling of being heard by independent representatives emerged as a prominent factor for their political engagement. The "flock" of citizens engaged with Discord using mainly four key collective affordances in-practice: coordination, cooperativism, moderation, and customization. Implications and limitations are discussed.