The Role of Facebook and Twitter as Social Media Networks in Building Political Interest: A Sociological Overview
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.v-iv.24265Keywords:
Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Political InterestAbstract
Social media plays an important role in enhancing the interest of individuals in politics. This study aims to understand how social media contributes to political consciousness and how social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter influence political interest. To collect and analyze the data, this study employed a quantitative research method and a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected from 381 students at Punjab University through a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected through a questionnaire that contains close-ended questions. The collected data was analyzed through SPSS by using chi-square and Kendall's Tau-b test to determine the association and direction of association between study variables. At the bivariate level, the results indicate that there was a significant (p = 0.000) and positive association between the use of Facebook and political interest. The association between the use of Twitter and political interest was also significant (p = 0.000) and positive. At the multivariate level, the results indicate a spurious association between Facebook use and political interest, which was significant (p = 0.000) and positive (Tb = 0.941) when controlling for gender. Similarly, there is a spurious association between the use of Twitter and political interest that was significant (p = 0.000) and positive (Tb = 0.745) for both male and female genders.
References
Advani, R. (2020). Maps, movements, and mobilities: Facebook and 'checking-in among young men in Pune, India. Space and Polity, 24(1), 60-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562576.2019.1667762
Ahmad, T., Alvi, A., & Ittefaq, M. (2019). The use of social media on political participation among university students: An analysis of survey results from rural Pakistan. SAGE Open, 9(3), 215824401986448. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019864484
Alenzi, H. A., & Miskon, S. (2024). Government to Citizens Communication via Social Media Platforms: Literature Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(5), 1020-1035. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v14-i5/21610
Al-Khaza’leh, M. S., & Lahiani, H. (2021). University and political awareness among students: A study in the role of university in promoting political awareness. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 11(2), 204-219.
Amankwah, A. (2024). Role of digital media as political communication tools in elections: A study on political science students at a public university in Ghana. Connectist Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, 0(66), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.26650/connectist2024-1332250
Ausat, A. M. A. (2023). The role of social media in shaping public opinion and its influence on economic decisions. Technology and Society Perspectives (TACIT), 1(1), 35-44. https://doi.org/10.61100/tacit.v1i1.37
Azkiya, N. R., Mahroza, J., Rishdianto, A., & Almubaroq, H. Z. (2023). Analysis of The Impact of Social Media On the Political Participation of Indonesian Youth in The Perspective of Defense Management. NUSANTARA: Jurnal Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial, 10(7), 3533–3545. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/587996957.pdf
Boyd, D. (2008). Why youth (heart) social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. YOUTH, IDENTITY, AND DIGITAL MEDIA, David Buckingham, ed., The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2007-16.
Boyd, D. m., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication: JCMC, 13(1), 210–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x
Busse, B., Hashem-Wangler, A., & Tholen, J. (2015). Two worlds of participation: Young people and politics in Germany. The Sociological Review, 63(2_suppl), 118–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954x.12265
Carpini, M. X. D., & Keeter, S. (1996). What Americans know about politics and why it matters. Yale University Press.
Collins, R. (1979). The credential society: An historical sociology of education and stratification. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/coll19234-009
Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person, and sexual politics. Stanford University Press.
Conover, P. J. (1991). Political socialization: Where’s the politics. Political science: Looking to the future, 3, 125-52.
Fishkin, J. S. (1997). The voice of the people: Public opinion and democracy. Yale university press.
Frasure, L. A., & Williams, L. F. (2009). Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in political participation and civic engagement. Emerging intersections: Race, class, and gender in theory, policy, and practice, 203-28. https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813546513-011
Gerbaudo, P. (2024). From individual affectedness to collective identity: personal testimony campaigns on social media and the logic of collection. New Media & Society, 26(8), 4904–4921. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221128523
Grebenshchikova, K. (2023). History of social media [Bachelor Thesis]. University of Finance and Administration, Prague.
Guess, A., Nagler, J., & Tucker, J. (2019). Less than you think: Prevalence and predictors of fake news dissemination on Facebook. Science Advances, 5(1), eaau4586. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau4586
Habermas, J. (2018). Between facts and norms: Contributions to a discourse theory of law and democracy. John Wiley & Sons.
Harlow, S., & Brown, D. K. (2021). Protest news and Facebook engagement: How the hierarchy of social struggle is rebuilt on social media. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 98(3), 665–691. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990211017243
Hooghe, M. (2002). Watching television and civic engagement: Disentangling the effects of time, programs, and stations. Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 7(2), 84-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1081180X0200700206
Hopp, T., Ferrucci, P., Vargo, C. J., & Liu, L. (2023). Is online textual political expression associated with political knowledge?. Communication Research, 00936502221113808. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221113808
Hyman, H. H. (1959). Political socialization: A study in the psychology of political behavior. Free Press.
Jaros, D. (1973). Socialization to politics. Thomas Nelson & Sons.
Javed, K., Jianxin, L., & Khan, A. (2021). Constitutional exceptions of right to speech: Evidence from the apex courts of Pakistan. Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS), 2(1), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.jhsms/2.1.7
Jelínková, P. (2015). What is the'Facebook revolution'? Use of Social Media for Political Protest: Egypt 2011 [Thesis]. Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta humanitních studií. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11956/82110
Jennings, M. K., & Niemi, R. G. (1974). The political character of adolescence: The influence of families and schools. Princeton University Press.
Jennings, M. K., & Niemi, R. G. (1981). Generations and politics: A panel study of young adults and their parents. Princeton University Press.
Khan, N., Liaqat, I., & Islam, A. (2024). Impact of Social Media on the Development of Youth Personality, a Case Study of District Attock, Punjab, Pakistan. Shnakhat, 3(1), 1-15. https://shnakhat.com/index.php/shnakhat/article/view/225
Khurana, N. (2015). The impact of social networking sites on the youth. J Mass Communicat Journalism, 5(12), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.4172/2165-7912.1000285
Kubin, E., & Von Sikorski, C. (2021). The role of (social) media in political polarization: a systematic review. Annals of the International Communication Association, 45(3), 188-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2021.1976070
Lady, C. (2023). The Influence of Young Activist on Instagram and Twitter Towards Youth Political Participation in the 2024 Indonesia General Election: Study Case of Bandung City [Bachelor Thesis]. Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages.
Larcinese, V., & Miner, L. (2012). The political impact of the internet on US presidential elections. Unpublished manuscript.
Loader, B. D., Vromen, A., & Xenos, M. A. (2016). Performing for the young networked citizen? Celebrity politics, social networking and the political engagement of young people. Media, Culture, and Society, 38(3), 400–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443715608261
Malik, H., & Latif, F. (2022). Perceptions of Pakistani Journalists Regarding the Credibility of Social Media. International Journal of Media and Information Literacy, 7(2), 499-508. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/perceptions-of-pakistani
Matthes, J. (2022). Social media and the political engagement of young adults: Between mobilization and distraction. Online Media and Global Communication, 1(1), 6–22. https://doi.org/10.1515/omgc-2022-0006
Merton, R. K. (1968). Social theory and social structure. Free Press.
Meyer, J. W. (1977). The effects of education as an institution. American Journal of Sociology, 83(1), 55-77. https://doi.org/10.1086/226506
Monica, A., & Raluca, C. (2009). Social networking sites and their impact on the youth. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 1(1), 1-12. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234698194.pdf
Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & McNeal, R. S. (2007). Digital citizenship: The Internet, society, and participation. MIt Press.
Muzaffar, M. (2019). Social media and political awareness in Pakistan: A case study of youth. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 3(II), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2019(3-ii)01
Neuman, W. L. (2011). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Pearson.
Notley, T. (2009). Young people, online networks, and social inclusion. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication: JCMC, 14(4), 1208–1227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01487.x
Oates, S., Owen, D., & Gibson, R. K. (2006). The Internet and politics: citizens, voters and activists. Routledge.
Okujeni, R., Akpandem, J., & Okocha, D. O. (2024). Social Media as a Strategic Tool for Corporate Communication in Nigeria. Nasarawa Journal of Multimedia and Communication Studies, 5(1), 1-14. https://www.njomacs.com/paper/social-media-as-a-strategic-tool
Omotayo, F., & Folorunso, M. B. (2020). Use of social media for political participation by youths. JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government, 12(1), 132–157. https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v12i1.585
Özbay, C., & Ipekci, I. C. (2024). State-led antigender politics, Islamism, and the university: experiences of gender studies scholars in Turkey. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, 20(1), 89-110. https://doi.org/10.1215/15525864-10961794
Perloff, R. M. (2021). The dynamics of political communication: Media and politics in a digital age. Routledge.
Purvis, A. J., & Beckingham, S. (2024). A decade of social media for learning: A systematic review. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(5), 1-27.
Rahman, F., Khalil ur Rahman, D., & Iftikhar, A. (2024). EXPLORING THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF WORKPLACE HARASSMENT ON WORKING WOMEN AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA. International Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(2), 148–166. https://irjssh.com/index.php/irjssh/article/view/186
Rahman, K. ur, Rahman, F., & Nawaz, S. (2024). Exploring Workplace Incivility and Harassment against Women at University Level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Qualitative Approach. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 5(4), 64–72. https://doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2024(5-IV)07 .
Ripki, A. J. H., & Wulandari, A. (2024). Analysis of Social Media Usage in Enhancing Communication and Collaboration in Educational Environments. Indo-MathEdu Intellectuals Journal, 5(2), 1511-1522. https://doi.org/10.54373/imeij.v5i2.919
Sachdeva, P., & Tripathi, D. (2019). A Critical Education for 21st Century: A study on Youth and Media literacy. Journal of Content, Community and Communication, 10(9), 64-72. https://doi.org/10.31620/JCCC.12.19/07
Smith, A., Schlozman, K. L., Verba, S., & Brady, H. (2009). The Internet and civic engagement. Washington, DC: Pew internet & American life project.
Stoycheff, E., Liu, J., Wibowo, K. A., & Nanni, D. P. (2017). What have we learned about social media by studying Facebook? A decade in review. New Media & Society, 19(6), 968-980. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817695745
Subair, A. (2020). Social Media Use and Socio-Political Participation of College Students [Doctoral dissertation]. Loyola College of Social Sciences.
Touraine, A. (1985). An Introduction to the Study of Social Movements. Social Research, 52(4), 749–787. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40970397
Turner, R. H. (1956). Role-taking, role standpoint, and reference-group behavior. American Journal of Sociology, 61(4), 316–328. https://doi.org/10.1086/221763
Zeib, F. (2021). Rising wave of social media: A perspective of political awareness, voting behavior, online and offline political participation of university students in Pakistan [Doctoral Thesis]. Philipps-Universität Marburg.
Zhang, Y., & Leung, L. (2015). A review of social networking service (SNS) research in communication journals from 2006 to 2011. New Media & Society, 17(7), 1007–1024. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813520477
Zhuravskaya, E., Petrova, M., & Enikolopov, R. (2020). Political effects of the Internet and social media. Annual Review of Economics, 12(1), 415–438. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-081919-050239
