Youth Political Awareness in the Age of Instagram-Based Citizen Journalism

Abstract

This study explores the role of Instagram-based citizen journalism in shaping youth political awareness and engagement. It employs a cross-sectional survey of 500 respondents aged 18–30, evaluating exposure to digital news, trust in peer-generated media content, and concerns about misinformation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and oneway ANOVA. The study found that exposure to citizen journalism on Instagram significantly increases political awareness and serves as a key predictor of political engagement. Although trust in these platforms is associated with increased engagement, high concern about misinformation leads to a more critical approach to digital news consumption. Notably, ANOVA results showed statistically significant differences in engagement across age subgroups, challenging the assumption of a homogeneous youth audience. This study provides insights into digital political communication through an age-comparative analysis. The findings highlight the importance of age-sensitive civic education and critical media literacy in promoting effective democratic participation in digitally mediated environments.