The Role of Political Attitudes, Political Efficacy and Social Media Usage Patterns on Political Participation in Social Media in the 2019 Local Election: Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Students Research
Şükrü Balcı, Hüsamettin AkarPolitical participation is a concept that can be evaluated in many ways, from voting at the ballot box to supporting or influencing the actions and choices of government officials, or the interest of the citizen in politics. With the development of communication technologies, significant changes have started to occur in people’s political participation. In this research, the political participation styles of university students on social media during the 2019 Turkish local elections were determined. The research examines the relationship between political participation and political attitudes, as well as between political activity and social media usage. Field research was the principal form of data collection: 283 participants took part in face-to-face surveys. As a result of the research, it was determined that the participants saw internet, social media, and television more effective in the political decision process during local elections. As the level of interest of university students in the country’s problems increases, there is an increase in the participation in politics and understanding the important political problems faced by the country. There is a not so significant relationship between party loyalty and government and internal political efficacy. It is noteworthy that internal political efficacy, party loyalty, interest in country’s problems, interest in political campaigns, and social media effectiveness in political decisions positively predict the political participation score in social media.
2019 Yerel Seçiminde Sosyal Medyadaki Siyasal Katılım Üzerinde, Siyasal Tutumlar, Siyasal Etkinlik ve Sosyal Medya Kullanım Örüntülerinin Rolü: Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Öğrencileri Araştırması
Şükrü Balcı, Hüsamettin AkarSiyasal katılım, bir seçmenin sandık başında oy kullanmasından, hükûmet yetkilisinin icraatını desteklemek veya etkilemek ya da vatandaşın siyasete duyduğu ilgiye kadar geniş bir yelpazede değerlendirilebilen bir kavramdır. Siyasal katılım hayatın her anında siyasal otoriteyi etkilemek adına yürütülen eylemler olurken; iletişim teknolojilerinin gelişimi ile birlikte insanların siyasal katılım biçimlerinde değişim ve dönüşüm yaşanmaya başlamıştır. Bu araştırma, üniversite öğrencilerinin 2019 Yerel Seçimleri sürecinde sosyal medyada siyasal katılım biçimlerini belirlemek; siyasal katılım ile siyasal tutumlar, siyasal etkinlik ve sosyal medya kullanım örüntüleri arasındaki ilişkiyi mercek altına almak amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Alan araştırmasının kullanıldığı çalışmada veriler, 283 katılımcıdan yüz yüze anket tekniğiyle toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda katılımcıların yerel seçimlerdeki siyasal karar süreçlerinde internet, sosyal medya ve televizyonu daha etkili gördüğü tespit edilmiştir. Üniversite öğrencilerinin ülke sorunlarına ilgi düzeyi arttıkça, politikaya katılmak için kendisini nitelikli bulma ve ülkenin karşı karşıya kaldığı önemli siyasi sorunları iyi anlama düzeylerinde bir artış yaşanmaktadır. Parti bağlılığı ile hükümet etkinliği ve iç siyasal etkinlik arasında zayıf düzeyde anlamlı ilişki bulunmaktadır. İç siyasal etkinlik, parti bağlılığı, ülke sorunlarına ilgi, siyasal kampanyalara ilgi ve siyasal kararlarda sosyal medya etkisinin sosyal medyada siyasal katılım puanını pozitif yönde anlamlı biçimde yordadığı dikkat çekmektedir.
Significant debates have been held for more than a decade on the impact of social media and the internet on political participation. Studies have shown that social media has become one of the most important platforms for online users to discuss politics and cause them to participate in politics away from the internet. In this research, the relationship between Turkish university students’ use of social media in relation to both online and offline political participation is examined. Social media usage patterns of the university students were examined during the local election period. Those who answered the research questions spent approximately 75 minutes with social media, out of which 73.9%did it every day. WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter are the most preferred forms of social media.
The research also collected data on the political attitudes of university students. Results revealed that university students in the sample had a mid-level commitment to a particular party. Among the participants, both men and women have close values in terms of party loyalty level. The results show that Turkish men are more interested in the country’s problems than Turkish women. It is remarkable that university students’ interest in political campaigns and issues is at a medium level. Also, university students whose opinions were consulted in the research and in the political decision processes in local elections; they see internet, social media, and television more effectively.
Apparently, Internal Political Efficacy is a particular area of concern for the students. As the level of interest of university students to the problems of the country increases, there is an increase in understanding the important political problems faced by the country and political participation. The political efficacy levels of the men and women in the sample are close to each other.
The relatively low level of political participation of the university students participating in the research on social media is an important finding of this study. The students discuss their preference regarding a political candidate or party among other political discussion using instant chat. Although there is no significant relationship between socio-demographic variables such as gender and age and political participation in social media, each of the variables such as party loyalty, interest in country’s problems, dealing with political campaigns and issues, and the level of effectiveness of social media in political decisions are positive determinants of political participation in social media. There is an increase in the level of political participation in social media, as the level of party loyalty, interest in country’s issues, dealing with political campaigns and issues, and the level of effectiveness of social media in political decisions increases. In other words, while university students in the sample think more that they find themselves qualified to participate in politics; they express more that they understand the important political problems faced by the country. The increase in daily social media usage time can trigger political participation in social media. As Kenski and Stroud (2006) found that Internet access and online exposure to presidential campaign information increase political participation.
This research was designed to reveal the relationship between the level of political participation in social media and social media usage patterns, as well as political attitudes and political activity during the 2019 Turkish local elections on a sample selected from among university students. Future research could increase sample size. In addition, the effectiveness of variables such as trust in the media and the political system and political participation can also be subject to further research. What is the relationship between news media usage frequency and political participation can be another research topic?
