From virtual engagement to real-world action : relationship between social media intensity, exposure to Israel-Palestine issue, parasocial interaction and intention to support Palestine on social media among IIUM students

Abstract

There are many Muslim influencers (MI) around the globe who used social media to promote their brands and lifestyles, and to disseminate information to their fans. In the modern era, the method of engagement between influencers and fans evolved from simple face-to-face interaction to the use of technology and new media that are more sophisticated and intricate. The concept of MI also evolved alongside modern technology. They used new media such as social media to spread information and interacted with fans through these platforms. The concept of MI had already been discussed in past literature, but when it came to responses or intentions to support geopolitical issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict on social media, many questions arose regarding the effect of MI in shaping the views of social media users. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between parasocial interaction and the intention to support Palestine. The main questions highlighted were: What type of responses did International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students have regarding their relationship with MI, and did the students show solidarity because of their interaction with MI on social media? A quantitative analysis was conducted to obtain a general view of Muslim influencers. A total of 354 students from the IIUM were chosen using stratified sampling to answer the survey questionnaire. There were six components in the questionnaire, namely demographics, exposure to the Israel-Palestine issue on social media, parasocial interaction towards MI, and the intention to support Palestine through online activism. The finding of this study revealed that the majority of the students who followed Muslim influencers, used social media regularly and were exposed to the Israel-Palestine issue on social media, thus tend to show greater support for Palestine on social media. Keyword: Muslim influencers, Online activism, Israel-Palestine issues, Parasocial Interaction, Social media, Quantitative Analysis.