INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON

THE VOTING BEHAVIOUR OF SRI

LANKAN YOUTH OF GENERATION Z
W.M. DHARANEE UPEKA WEERASEKARA
ASSISTANT CHIEF SECRETARY, NORTH WESTERN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
INTRODUCTION
• In Sri Lankan context, youth get the opportunity to
exercise their voting right at the age of 18.

• Specially youth of generation z born between 1996-

2010 are more social media oriented.

• Since deciding whether to vote or not and whom to

vote are crucial decisions for youth, they need some
channels of information to rely on when deciding
their voting behavior
 Research problem
• Sri lanka has been experiencing universal franchise since 1931 but since then the voter behaviour has been very
dynamic. Voting behaviour is very unpredictable and researchers have identified several factors which affect for the
voting behaviour

• According to the previous studies candidate image, family and peer pressure, demographical factors, personal beliefs
and political ideologies were considered as factors influencing for voting behaviour (Esha & Hashim, 2017).

• Facebook and twitter played a vital role in the current upheaval and revolutions in Yemen, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Egypt
and Bahrain (attia et al, 2012). Specially, the current political trends are driven by the Sri Lankan youth using social
media such as facebook, twitter, instagram and youtube.

• When roaming in the cyber space youth may get the view that by using their vote their problems can be solved (Baruah
& Dowerah, 2012 )

• Along with the advancement of mass media and technology, it is evident that the classical theories of voting behaviour
are scarce. Also, the studies focusing on the determinants of voting behaviour of generation z in Sri Lanka are limited.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
•Currently there is a notion that the social media have become an
integral part of the Sri Lankan society. The objective of this
research is to discover the role of social media and the degree to
which social media can influence for building up the voting
behaviour of Sri Lankan youth.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
• Thisresearch is based on the positivist research paradigm which acknowledges the
importance of the factual knowledge acquired through observation.

• Primary data is collected by distributing an online, self-administered close-ended

questionnaire with a likert scale of 5.

• A random sample of 300 youth voters belonging to generation z were selected for the
purpose of this survey. Microsoft excel and SPSS version 16 is used for analyzing the
collected data.
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Social Media helps to decide whom to vote for Based on the results of the study,
elections it was revealed that 12.5% of the
respondents strongly agreed that
social media helps them to decide
who to vote for the elections,
12.5
Strongly while 28.1% agreed for that.
25
Agree 18.8% of the respondents were
Agree neutral about this. As per the
Neutral results 25% of the respondents
28
have stated that they strongly
Strongly disagree that social media helps
18.8
. Disagree them to decide whom to vote.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Rely on Social Media posts regarding
elections

15.6
• When the respondents were questioned
whether they rely on social media posts
31.3
Agree regarding elections,15.6% agreed, 46.9%
Neutral were neutral, 6.3% disagreed and 31.3%
Disagree strongly disagreed. This depicts that the
Strongly young voters do not have a strong trust
Disagree
6.3 regarding the accuracy of social media
46.9
posts.
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE TO LEARN According to the results of the
ABOUT CANDIDATES study, it was the notion of the
majority of the sample of young
12.5 voters of generation z, that social
25 media helps to learn about
Strongly candidates.
12.5 Disagree
25% of the respondents strongly
Disagree agreed, while 43.8% of the
respondents agreed that they
6.3
Neutral use social media to learn about
Agree candidates.

Strongly Agree

43.8
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Social Media was helpful as a first-time voter

5.4
• 5.4% of the respondents strongly
agreed that social media was
18.9
Agree helpful as a first-time voter. 18.9%
18.9
Neutral of the respondents agreed that
Disagree social media is helpful as first-time
Strongly
voters. 37.8% of the respondents
Disagree
were however neutral on this above
statement while 18.9% disagreed
37.8
and 5.4% strongly disagreed.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• These results depict that the generation z voters show a reluctance to accept that social media helps for their
voting behaviour although they accept social media merely as a mode to obtain information related to
elections and candidates.

• Social media is a moderator for the candidate image but not a very strong influence factor for voting behaviour
of generation z.

• If the political parties and candidates are planning on a social media campaign to attract the generation z
voters, they should thoroughly focus on the reliability and the accuracy of the social media platforms which
they use.

• Because according to the study results these youth voters do not rely on social media when taking their final
decision with regard to voting. This study was limited to the first-time voters of generation z and it is
recommended to extend this study to the all the youth voters for gaining a better picture about social media
influence on their voting behaviour.
THANK YOU
Q&A