PENGGUNAAN MEDIA DALAM KALANGAN PENGUNDI MUDA PADA PRU15: PERSPEKTIF KEGUNAAN DAN KEPUASAN
MEDIA USAGE AMONG YOUNG VOTERS IN GE15: A USES AND GRATIFICATIONS PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1296Keywords:
Undi18, teori kegunaan dan kepuasan, pengundi muda, PRU15Abstract
Pelaksanaan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan bagi menurunkan had umur mengundi kepada 18 tahun serta pendaftaran pemilih secara automatik telah merevolusikan landskap elektoral di Malaysia. Kohort pengundi muda kini muncul sebagai penentu dinamika sosiopolitik negara, khususnya dalam konteks Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU15). Kajian ini dijalankan berteraskan Teori Kegunaan dan Kepuasan (U&G) bagi mengenalpasti keperluan, faktor kegunaan, dan bentuk kepuasan penggunaan media dalam kalangan pengundi muda sewaktu PRU15. Menggunakan reka bentuk tinjauan, data primer dikumpul daripada N = 414 responden berumur 18 hingga 29 tahun yang merentasi lapan buah negeri di Malaysia. Dapatan profil demografi menunjukkan bahawa 83.1% daripada responden merupakan pengundi kali pertama. Analisis min mendapati bahawa TikTok merupakan platform media yang paling dominan. Sifat aktif khalayak ini diperkukuhkan lagi apabila majoriti responden (57.3%) memperuntukkan masa melebihi 4 jam sehari untuk mendapatkan maklumat pilihan raya. Dari segi konstruk U&G, keperluan kognitif mendominasi keperluan utama manakala pencarian maklumat menjadi faktor kegunaan yang paling utama. Seterusnya kepuasan pengawasan mencatatkan nilai min tertinggi bagi konstruk kepuasan diperoleh. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini merumuskan bahawa pengundi muda di Malaysia merupakan khalayak aktif yang secara instrumental mengeksploitasi fungsi pengawasan media digital untuk menapis maklumat sebelum menterjemahkannya kepada keputusan undi. Implikasi kajian mencadangkan agar strategi komunikasi politik masa hadapan perlu diadaptasikan sepenuhnya ke dalam format digital makro visual yang lebih telus dan responsif.
The implementation of the Federal Constitution amendment to lower the voting age to 18 (Undi18) alongside automatic voter registration has revolutionized the electoral landscape in Malaysia. The young voter cohort has now emerged as a critical determinant of the nation's sociopolitical dynamics, particularly within the context of the 15th General Election (GE15). Grounded in the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory, this study was conducted to identify the media needs, gratification factors, and types of gratification obtained among young voters during GE15. Utilizing a survey design, primary data was gathered from N = 414 respondents aged 18 to 29 across eight Malaysian states. Demographic profiling revealed that 83.1% of the respondents were first-time voters. Mean analysis indicated that TikTok was the most dominant media platform. The active nature of this audience was further corroborated by the fact that most respondents (57.3%) spent more than 4 hours daily consuming election-related information. Within the U&G constructs, Cognitive Needs dominated media needs, while Information Seeking stood out as the primary gratification factor. Furthermore, Surveillance Gratification recorded the highest mean score for the gratification obtained construct. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that young Malaysian voters are an active audience who instrumentally exploit the surveillance functions of digital media to filter information before transforming it into voting decisions. The implications suggest that future political communication strategies must fully adapt to macro-visual digital formats that are more transparent and responsive.
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