Social Media: The Major Trigger of Online and Offline Political Activism

Authors: Chan Eang Teng, Tang Mui Joo

Abstract:

With the viral factor on social media, the sense of persuasion is generated by repetition and popularity. When users’ interest is captured, political awareness increases to spark political enthusiasm, but, the level of user’s political participation and political attitude of those active users is still questionable. An online survey on 250 youth and in-depth interview on two politicians are conducted to answer the main question in this paper. The result shows that Facebook significantly increases political awareness among youths. Social media may not be the major trigger to political activism among youths as most respondents opined that they would still vote without Facebook. Other factors could be political campaigning, political climate, age, peer pressure or others. Finding also shows that majority of respondents did not participate in online political debates or political groups. Many also wondered if the social media was the main power switch that triggers the political influx among young voters. The research finding is significant to understand how the new media, Facebook, has reshaped the political landscape in Malaysia, creating the Social Media Election that changed the rules of the political game. However, research finding does not support the ideal notion that the social media is the major trigger to youth’s political activism. This research outcome has exposed the flaws of the Social Media Election. It has revealed the less optimistic side of youth political activism. Unfortunately, results fall short of the idealistic belief that the social media have given rise to political activism among youths in the 13^th General Election in Malaysia. The research outcome also highlights an important lesson for the democratic discourse of Malaysia which is making informed and educated decisions takes more commitment, proactive and objective attitude.

Keywords: Social media, political participation, political activism, democracy, political communication.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1124207

References:

[1] Rabiah Karakaya Polat, ‘The Internet and Political Participation’, European Journal of Communication, vol. 20, no. 4, 2005, pp.435-459.
[2] New Straits Times 2013, Net a game-changer in politics, viewed 25 October 2013 via
[3] Breuer, A & Farooq, B. 2012, ‘Online Political Participation: Slacktivism or Efficiency Increased Activism? Evidence from the Brazilian Ficha Limpa Campaign’, German Development Institute, viewed 28 October 2013 via
[4] Shah DV, Cho, J, Eveland, WP & Kwak, N., ‘Information and Expression in a Digital Age: Modeling Internet Effects on Civic Participation’, Communication Research, Vol. 32, No 5, 2005, pp. 531-565.
[5] Towner, T. L., ‘All Political Participation is Socially Networked? New Media and the 2012 Election’, Social Science Computer Review, vol. 31, no. 5, 2013, pp. 527-541.
[6] Hamzah M. & Yassin Y. M., ‘Exploring The Political Behaviours of Young Voters in the Higher Institutions in Malysia’, Institut Pengurusan Penyelidikan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 2009.
[7] Freeman K. S., ‘News Consumption Behaviour of Young Adults in Malaysia’, International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2013, pp. 121-124.
[8] Lee S.I. 2013, Mainstream media suffering as more Malaysians turn to social media for news, The Malaysian Insider, viewed 23 November 2013 via
[9] Tang, G. & Lee, L. F., ‘Facebook Use and Political Participation: The Impact of Exposure to Shared Political Information, Connections with Public Political Actors, and Network Structural Heterogeneity’, Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 31, No. 6, 2013, pp. 763-773.
[10] Baumgartner, J. C & Morris J. S., ‘MyFaceTube Politics: Social Networking Web Sites and Political Engagement of Young Adults’, Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2010, pp. 24-44.
[11] Loo, S. 2013, MCA’s Love is in the Air’ Video Mocked Down Under, Freemalaysiakini2, viewed on 28 October 2013 via
[12] Weiss, M. L., ‘Politics in Cyberspace: New Media in Malaysia’, Fesmedia Asia, 2012.
[13] Malaysiakini 2013, Thousands ‘light up’ for democracy at Dataran PJ, viewed 29 October 2013 via
[14] Willnat, L, Wong, J, Tamam, E & Annette, ‘Online Media and Political Participation: The Case of Malaysia’, Mass Communication and Society, vol. 16, no. 4, 2013, pp. 557-585.
[15] Vissers, S & Stolle, D, ‘The Internet and new modes of political participation: online versus offline participation’, Information, Communication & Society, vol. 17, no. 8, 2013, pp. 937-955.
[16] Leticia, B, Emily, K, Porismita, B & Dhavan, V, ‘A New Space for Political Behavior: Political Social Networking and its Democratic Consequences’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 19, no. 1,2013, pp. 414-429.
[17] Homero, G, Jung, N & Valenzuela, S, ‘Social Media Use for News and Individual’s Social Capital, Civic Engagement and Political Participation’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 17, no. 1, 2012,pp. 319-336.
[18] Thanaseelen, R & Dr. Santhidran, S, ‘A Malaysia’s Y Culture: Of Media Convergence and Political Awareness’, Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, vol 3, no. 8, 2013, pp. 93-101.
[19] Tham, J. S & Zanuddin, H, ‘Malaysia’s 13th General Election: Political Communication Battle and public agenda in Social Media’, Department of Media Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, 2013,pp. 1-18.
[20] Liow, Joseph ChinYong & Afif Pasuni, ‘Debating the conduct and nature of Malaysian Politics: Communalism and New Media Post-March 2008’, Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, vol. 29, no.4, 2010, pp.39-65.
[21] Lim, J. B. Y, ‘Mobile Media and Youth Engagement in Malaysia’, Interdisciplinary Mobile Media and Communications: Social, Political and Economic Implications, vol. 1, no. 1, 2014, pp. 139-156.
[22] TheMalayMailOnline 2013, ‘Malaysian youth not active in politics, global survey shows’, viewed 21 November 2014, .
[23] Leong, L. M, Azhar, Hazri & Mulakala, The Youth Factor, The Asia Foundation, Kuala Lumpur,2012.
[24] Attorney General’s Chambers 2012, ‘Universities and University Colleges Act 1971’, viewed 21 November 2014 via .
[25] Samsudin, A. R, Latiffah, P, Ali, S, ‘Citizenship Norms and the Participation of Young Adults in a Democracy’, International Journal of Social, Management, Economics and Business Engineering, vol. 6, no. 4, 2012, pp. 75-79.
[26] Mutz, D. C, The Consequences of Cross-Cutting Networks for Political Participation, Midwest Political Science Association, Ohio,2009.
[27] Chang, A, ‘Youth Participation in East Asia’, Democratic Citizenship and Voices of Asia’s Youth, vol. 1, no. 1, 2012, pp. 1-28.
[28] Jordan, G, Pope, M, Wallis, P & Iyer, S, ‘Relationship between Openness to Experience and Willingness to Engage in Online Political Participation Is Influenced by News Consumption’, Social Science Computer Review, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 1-17,2014.
[29] Bakker, T & Claes, H, ‘Good News for the Future? Young People, Internet Use, and Political Participation’, Communication Research, vol. 38, no. 4, 2011, pp. 451-470.
[30] Wong, J, Ramakrishnan, K, Lee, T & Junn, J, Asian American Political Participation: Emerging Constituents and Their Political Identities, Russell Sage Foundation, New York,2011.
[31] Utter, G, Youth and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook, ABC-CLIO, LLC, California, 2011.
[32] Kerr, D 2012, Facebook uses peer pressure to bring out the vote, CNET, viewed 17 December 2013 via
[33] Associated Press 2013, Voters in Malaysia weighing change after 56 years under National Front coalition, Fox News, viewed 17 December 2013 via
[34] McCoy, R 2013, Time to vote for democratic change, Malaysiakini, viewed 17 December 2013 via
[35] Katz, E., Blumer, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. “Utilization of mass communication by the individual: Current perspectives on gratifications research”. London, England: SAGE, 1974.
[36] Boyd, D., “Why youth love social network sites: the role of networked publics in teenage social life”, MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning, University of California, 2008.
[37] Malaysian Chronicle 2013, 80,000 youths turn on lights to ‘Save Malaysia’: Najib & EC top officials must resign, viewed 28 October 2013 via