Interactivity gratifications

Abstract

The study explored how the interactive attributes of new media technologies influence thegratification-seeking behaviour of millennials. Using a mixed methods approach, it employed asurvey and focus group interviews to collect data from university students. From a population of2 400 university students from the Political Science Department of a renowned public universityin Ghana, 400 students were systematically sampled for the survey, while 40 students werepurposively selected for focus group discussions. The findings indicate that the interactive featuresof the technologies produced emerging social and psychological gratifications in millennialsby projecting them as purposeful, and active in deploying symmetric political communicationrepertoires. The practical implication of this is that political leaders need to invigorate their electoralcommunication repertoires both in substance and in depth by deploying the heuristic attributes ofthe new technologies to facilitate the awakening of visceral responses in millennials and get themto engage in e-politics.