Digital Media, Social Identity, and Civic Engagement: A Sociological Study of Youth Participation in Democratic Processes
Main Article Content
Abstract
Digital media has become a significant force shaping youth participation in contemporary democratic processes by influencing political awareness, social identity, and civic engagement. This study examines the interrelationship between digital media usage, social identity formation, and civic engagement among youth, focusing on how online platforms affect participation in both formal and informal democratic activities. Using a descriptive and analytical research design, primary data were collected from 400 youth respondents aged 18–29 years from urban and semi-urban areas through a structured questionnaire. The study employed descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis to examine patterns of digital media use and their association with civic engagement. The findings reveal that frequent exposure to political content on digital platforms significantly enhances political awareness and contributes to the formation of a stronger social and political identity among youth. Moreover, digital media usage and identity strength were found to be significant predictors of civic engagement, including voting behavior, online political discussions, and participation in civic campaigns. However, the results also indicate that while digital engagement promotes political expression, it does not always translate into sustained offline participation. The study highlights the sociological importance of integrating digital spaces with democratic institutions to foster meaningful and enduring youth participation in democracy.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
S. Boulianne, “Young people, digital media, and engagement: A meta-analysis,” Journal of Communication, vol. 70, no. 4, pp. 571–601, 2020, doi: 10.1093/joc/jqaa020.
B. A. Olaniran, “Social media effects: Hijacking democracy and civility in civic engagement,” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 859–875, 2020, doi: 10.1080/10911359.2020.1810171.
B. John, “Social media, civic engagement and political participation,” Advances in Research in Social Sciences, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 45–58, 2019.
Y. Lee, “Social media capital and civic engagement: Does type matter?,” Social Science Computer Review, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 915–931, 2021, doi: 10.1177/0894439320909449.
N. Sormanen, “Young people’s online political participation in an apolitical context,” Journal of Youth Studies, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 214–231, 2025, doi: 10.1080/13676261.2024.2581983.
H. Jenkins, R. Purushotma, M. Weigel, K. Clinton, and A. J. Robison, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2009.
S. J. Zainurin, “The role of social media in influencing youth political behaviour: A systematic literature review,” Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 112–128, 2024.
CIRCLE, “Youth rely on digital platforms and need media literacy to access political information,” Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, Medford, MA, USA, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://circle.tufts.edu
L. Maurissen and E. Claes, “Understanding online political engagement among young adolescents in 21 countries,” Pensamiento Educativo, vol. 60, no. 2, pp. 1–20, 2023, doi: 10.7764/PEL.60.2.2023.4.
M. Kahne and E. Bowyer, “The political significance of social media activity and social networks,” Political Communication, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 1–24, 2019, doi: 10.1080/10584609.2018.1426662.
A. Valenzuela, N. Park, and K. F. Kee, “Is there social capital in a social network site? Facebook use and college students’ life satisfaction, trust, and participation,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 875–901, 2009, doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01474.x.
L. Bennett, “Changing citizenship in the digital age,” in Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth, W. Lance Bennett, Ed. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2008, pp. 1–24.
D. Loader, A. Vromen, and M. Xenos, “The networked young citizen: Social media, political participation and civic engagement,” Information, Communication & Society, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 143–150, 2014, doi: 10.1080/1369118X.2013.871571.
J. Zúñiga, N. Jung, and S. Valenzuela, “Social media use for news and individuals’ social capital, civic engagement and political participation,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 319–336, 2012, doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2012.01574.x.
OECD, Governance in the Digital Age: Youth, Trust and Civic Engagement. Paris, France: OECD Publishing, 2020, doi: 10.1787/ef4b21c4-en.
Pew Research Center, “Social media and political engagement among young adults,” Washington, DC, USA, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.pewresearch.org
United Nations Development Programme, Youth Civic Engagement and Democratic Governance in the Digital Era. New York, NY, USA: UNDP, 2021.