From apathy to action: understanding the youth’s political engagement on social media in Bangladesh

Abstract

Social media has increased horizons and created a wide scope for people to interact, express and connect. While it has made scopes for efficient connectivity, it has also created a platform for the people to share thoughts and opinions. In the age of technology, social media makes it easier for the youth to combine and share their perceptions regarding all aspects of life and society. The inclusion of the youth in the social and political landscape of Bangladesh is particularly important and social media has been proven to be one of their core outlets for expression and interactions. However, the youth are also known to be disinterested in the political affairs of the country over the last several years. This study explores how the youth of Bangladesh interact and position themselves in the political landscape through the use of social media. It sheds light on how the youth define and learn about politics and the factors that influence their political engagement on online platforms. The young generation have become more inclined towards learning and talking about politics since the student movement of 2024, and by exploring their perceptions post the movement, it is observed that there are several underlying factors that lead towards their political engagement on social media. Feelings of responsibility, unity and hopefulness to make an impact and heavily encourages the youth to learn about the political issues of the country. However, issues such as misinterpretation and discrimination in online spheres demotivate people to consider social media as an important political tool. Through a comparative analysis, it was found that the youth are more interested in engaging with and expressing their political views after the movement of 2024 in contrast to their disinterest previously. This thesis contributes to the understanding of the youth’s perceptions of politics and their choice of political engagement on social media in Bangladesh and to the advancement of the literature based on the student movement of 2024.