The Algorithm and the Clicks: Examining the Role of Social Media in Youth Engagement and Trust in Political Content in Ghana. (Excerpt)
Social media within Ghana has evolved as a very powerful platform for political engagement, particularly by 15- to 35-year-olds who actively consume, disseminate, and create politics on social platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube.
With 98.5% of the youth been active
on WhatsApp.
From a nationwide survey undertaken by Think-Tap Research, this generation born online is as politically outspoken as it is greatly affected by media online, despite a general distrust of what they provide.
With over half (51.8%) regularly share and repost political content on the internet, social sites are not only channels of communication but are educational, mobilization, and civic engagement avenues as well.
The research highlights a critical imperative for higher-order digital literacy because the gap between distrust in political information ( 58.8%) from the internet and high susceptibility to its effects exposes the youth to misinformation as indicated by some of the respondents.
88.8% however prefer to engage in News and Current Affairs related stories as their type of political stories.
While 79.8% believed that social media has reoriented them about their opinion about politics in Ghana out of which 48.7% have been influenced to discuss and engage political issues.
84.3 of the youth also take the stance that, social media as a platform helps to better their understanding in political issues in Ghana.
Think-Tap Research
~Made Easy~
#Research
#GhanaPolitics
#Ghana
Your next move? A quick check. Early detection is the checkmate. Check yourself this October, and tell someone you love to do the same. 💗 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth
Same sky. Different altitude.
That's what research does for your business, it's the difference between floating with everyone else and rising above them.
Ready to fly higher than your competitors? Let's talk research
#ResearchMadeEasy#CompetitiveEdge#Globalbusinessinsight