Social media has become a central arena for political communication, yet debate persists over whether these platforms genuinely strengthen democratic participation or simply encourage superficial engagement. Much of the existing research relies on cross-sectional data and treats social media as a homogeneous space, offering limited insight into how different platforms shape political behavior over time. This gap is particularly evident in emerging democratic contexts such as Malaysia. This study employs a two-wave longitudinal field experiment to examine how traditional media and selected social media platforms WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok affect institutional and extra-institutional political engagement. Participants are randomly assigned to use one designated platform as their primary source of political information for three to four weeks. By measuring political engagement before and after exposure, the study captures temporal change and allows for stronger causal inference. Grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory, the research further investigates how platform-specific mechanisms, particularly convenience and user choice, influence perceived content value and subsequent political engagement. The findings aim to provide a more nuanced understanding of how communication technologies shape democratic participation in digitally mediated environments.

Authors:
Abdul Aziz Azizam, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Abdul Aziz Azizam is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-aziz-azizam-phd-6272191b/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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