Social Media Use and Political Efficacy: Structural Effect of the Voting Decision of New Voters

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of social media use and political efficacy (internal and external efficacy) on voting decisions among new voters. The favored hypothesis states that increased social media usage and political efficacy help shape voting decisions among new voters. The decision to lowering the voting age to 18 years by the parliament has cast doubt on political efficacy that leading to voting decisions among new voters. Social Media has proven to be a catalyst for social change in Malaysia since the 2004 election. Since the importance of social media use and political efficacy as a source of a healthy democracy, this study examines the effect of social media usage and political efficacy dimensions such as internal political efficacy and external political efficacy to voting decisions among new voters. A survey was used for data gathering among 384 school students and Higher Education Institution students in Melaka. The data analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS and SEM AMOS to provide an empirical understanding of social media use and political efficacy contribution towards the decision to vote. This study presents the significant effect of social media use and political efficacy from internal and external political efficacy to voting decisions among new voters. Surprisingly, educated young people claimed from the previous study have little interest in politically engaging in social media.