SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S 2014 GENERAL ELECTION

Yolisa Mhlomi,Oluyinka Osunkunle

doi:10.18820/24150525/comm.v22.12

Abstract

Political engagement through social media is not limited to adults, but there is evidence that young people increasingly use social media for online political participation (Yang & DeHart 2012). This article highlights some aspects of the role of social media in young people’s political engagement during South Africa’s 2014 general election. The uses and gratifications theory, as well as the information society theory, provides the theoretical framework against which the findings are analysed. Questionnaires were distributed to 200 students from the University of Fort Hare. The participants were selected systematically in order to present the University’s population at the time of the study. The results of the study indicate that young people are not apathetic to politics and that the use of social media as part of a political campaign was considered to have a positive effect on young people’s voting decisions.

Highlights

AND BACKGROUNDSocial media has had a significant impact on almost all areas of society, including political life
40 students were selected from each level of study: first years, second years, Social media and youth political participation in South Africa’s 2014 general election third years, fourth years and postgraduate students, which brought the total to 200 participants
When asked about their view on social media as a form of political communication, 152 (76%) respondents indicated that they perceived social media as having a positive effect on political engagement with young people, while 48 (24%) of the respondents indicated that they viewed the Internet as a negative channel for political engagement

Summary

Introduction

Social media has had a significant impact on almost all areas of society, including political life. Politicians use social media as an effective tool to reach out to potential voters with political campaign messages (Baker 2012; Chadwick & Howard 2010; Biswas et al 2014); while at the same time citizens use social media to access political information, keep abreast of the latest political developments, and engage in the political process (Yang & DeHart 2016). It is important to note that political engagement through social media is not limited to adults, but that there is evidence that young people increasingly use social media for online political participation (Yang & DeHart 2012). Wei (2016: 180) states that the use of mobile media in making political decisions is becoming popular in many countries. During the 2015 #FeesMustFall campaign and the #RhodesMustFall movement, social media played a crucial role

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