The impact of X micro-blogging site in influencing youth to participate in the electoral campaigns for the 2024 national elections in South Africa

Abstract

Social media has become an important tool for political communication, especially among young people. It influences how they source information, form opinions, and take part in democratic activities. This study looks at the role of X, a micro-blogging platform, in shaping youth participation during South Africa’s 2024 national election campaigns. It examines how X affected political engagement by analysing posts on X from before and after the elections and reviewing relevant literature and applying a qualitative digital ethnographic approach. The aim of this study is to understand how young people’s use of X influenced their involvement in the election. To do this, the research used a qualitative and exploratory approach, which helped to study social media content, trends, and discussions that reflected the views of young voters. The results show that X had both positive and negative effects on youth political involvement. On the positive side, it increased political awareness, allowed self-expression, and assisted young people to connect with political figures. On the negative side, it also spread false information, caused division, and encouraged shallow engagement, which affected the quality of participation. Access to technology and digital skills also played a role in how young people interacted with political content on the platform. This study suggests improving media and digital literacy, supporting responsible online political communication, encouraging youth-led campaigns, and considering new ideas like online voting to better match the digital habits of young people. Although the study offers valuable insights, it has some limitations. It focuses only on one platform and faces challenges in capturing all types of online engagement. More research is needed to understand how digital platforms affect political behaviour over time and how online and offline participation connect. Overall, the study shows that X played a major role in youth involvement during the 2024 South African National elections, and likewise, highlights the need to include digital platforms in efforts to promote inclusive democratic participation