The Power of Media and Changes in Gen Z’s Political Behavior in the Era of Digital Democracy: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Turkey
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Chandra Eko Wahyudi Utomo
,
Friska Ayu Prananda
,
Hasysisy Ahmad
,
Nyimas Tasya Farhana
,
Selfi Budi Helpiastuti
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The study compares how digital democracy shapes Generation Z’s political behaviour in Indonesia and Turkey, using a qualitative approach informed by Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model. It finds that Gen Z’s political engagement is increasingly mediated by social media and marked by polarization, while the classic five media filters (ownership, advertising, sourcing, flak, ideology) remain relevant and are intensified by algorithms as a “sixth filter.” In Indonesia, low digital literacy heightens Gen Z’s vulnerability to manipulation; in Turkey, repressive state control restricts alternative information and steers media toward elite interests. The study concludes that, rather than realising hopes for more inclusive and transparent democracy, the digital sphere is being instrumentalised by political elites to shape Gen Z’s political behaviour in both countries.
https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-549-2_18
Post created by: Virginia Signorini