The Patterns of Social Media Use and Choice and Their Influence on Online Political Participation Among Voters in Sarawak

Grace Charles, Akobiarek (2024) The Patterns of Social Media Use and Choice and Their Influence on Online Political Participation Among Voters in Sarawak. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

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Abstract

Social media is an online community where people may interact and establish connections using different communication channels. It fulfils several functions, such as keeping in touch, exchanging private updates, advertising, keeping track of current affairs, and finding new job opportunities. Social media offers many benefits and has become crucial to modern communication. Politicians may now directly interact with voters and spread their agendas and policies thanks to the widespread use of social media in the political arena. It has also become a powerful tool for political action, allowing users to quickly spread information about social issues and mobilize support for their beliefs. Because social media can spread information quickly and foster communication among diverse groups, it significantly shapes public opinion and influences election results. Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions, such as how social media use and choice may affect political participation and whether there are any similarities or differences in these behaviours amongst people of different ages. The study sought to examine the patterns of social media use and choice among Sarawakian voters as well as the influence of these patterns on online political participation. A stratified sample strategy was used to choose 501 respondents from different areas for the study. A focus group discussion was conducted alongside a survey, with participants specially selected from urban, semi-urban, and rural locations. The study results show that as people get older, they typically show a drop in the use of various social media platforms. The data indicate that young adults are far more likely than older people to use social media platforms. This "social media generational gap" happens due to several factors, including the extensive use of social media, its iii accessibility, familiarity with various social media platforms, and the medium on which it is utilized. It is clear from the data that adults and young people are more likely to utilize platforms like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, and so on. Older people usually do not seem excited about using various social media platforms. Social media is widely used daily, yet it has little effect on political action or the diffusion of political information. The study results suggest that the primary objective of employing social media is not to participate actively in political affairs but rather to acquire political information. This is valid for both online political participation and voter engagement on social media platforms. Social media platforms may pique users' interest in particular political issues, but this does not imply that they will become more involved in politics overall. This finding applies to the various age groups that the study examined.

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