Facebook and twitter influence on youth voters’ participation in political processes: a study of youth in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Social media has greatly transformed different aspects of human life including political processes. Among Kenyans, youths have enthusiastically taken up these platforms and are among the most vibrant users in Africa. Despite the rise in the use of social media in everyday life, no distinct research has been done on the communication dialogues that occur on Facebook and Twitter in the context of youth voters‘ participation in political processes in Kenya. The majority of studies available have been conducted in developed nations whose contextual characteristics are different from Kenya‘s. This study investigated how Facebook and Twitter influenced youth voters‘ participation in political processes leading to the 2017 elections. The study is guided by three research questions: What is the influence of Facebook and Twitter on youth voters‘ participation in political processes in Nairobi County? How does Facebook and Twitter influence voting decisions among youth voters in Nairobi County? How does online voter activity shape offline voting behaviour of young voters in Nairobi County? The study is grounded in adaptive structuration theory and the dialogic theory of Public Relations. The study was conducted in Nairobi County as it has the highest number of internet users in Kenya. Mixed methods approach using an explanatory sequential design is adopted for this study. The target population comprised registered youth voters in Nairobi who had Facebook and Twitter accounts. The Slovin‘s Formula is used to calculate the sample size, which came to 400 youths who were then selected through purposive sampling. The study selected 100 youths from each of the four sites in Buruburu, Jeevanjee Gardens, Kibra and Githurai 44. Purposive sampling was also used to identify 32 participants for the three Focus Group Discussions held at Jeevanjee Gardens, Kibra and Githurai 44. Survey questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data, while three Focus Group Discussions were used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages and mean scores, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis in line with the respective research questions. The study found that Facebook and Twitter enabled youthful voters to engage in political discussions by interrogating political arguments from different political players. Young voters were encouraged to vote via Twitter and Facebook, and as a result, the two social media platforms influenced voting patterns by providing information on the candidates, poll opening times, and security situation in polling stations. Furthermore, Facebook and Twitter shaped offline political behaviour, including mobilizing attendance of political rallies and voting decisions. In conclusion, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide youths with spaces to engage in political matters and, ultimately, have a significant role in influencing political participation and choices among the youth. The study thus recommends a focus on developing policy interventions to increase positive political participation through social media while curbing negative practices that undermine democratic participatory processes.