Youth political participation through social media : a case study of undergraduate students of Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (KIRKHS, IIUM

Abstract

This thesis aims to look into how social media has emerged as a novel venue for political participation. Research has shown that young people's engagement in conventional political participation is declining. Nevertheless, additional research indicates that youth might opt for unconventional political participation via social media platforms. This study examines the young people's political participation on social media. The first research question: How does political interest explain young people's participation in online politics? Next, why did young people use social media to engage in political activities? The third research question is: How do young people use social media in political activities? This thesis is guided by three objectives. The first objective is to explore the role of political interest in online politics. The second objective is to examine the gratifications that motivate youth to use social media to engage in political activities. The third objective is to examine the type of political activities of young people on social media. In pursuit of the objectives, the study is guided by uses and gratification theory to answer the research questions. The study employs a qualitative research method. Data was gathered from transcripts of focus group discussions and thematic content analysis was utilized to examine the data. The study discovers that social media is a platform for young people to receive and communicate political news and information. The findings also show that political interest is a factor that encourages the respondents to participate in online activities. The study contributes to a greater understanding of young people’s use of social media to communicate, obtain information and participate in society.

Key words: Youth Online Political Participation, Social Media, Uses and Gratification, Political Interest.