Social media shaping first-time voters’ political behavior: A combined analysis using framing theory, UGT, and the ELM

This paper discusses the issue of the role that social media plays in the politics of first-time voters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in the India parliamentary election in the year 2024. Using the Framing Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), as well as the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the study examines the influence of the organization of political information, personal reasons to use the media, and the patterns of cognitive processing on trust, political awareness, and their behavioural responses. The quantitative, cross-sectional design was adopted, where the purposive sampling was used to survey 246 first-time voters with the help of face-to-face surveys. The analysis showed that patterns of social media use were strongly linked to important changes in political outcomes such as trust in political information, the commonness of information (re)validation, and the alteration of voting preference. The results provide support to the argument that the framing of digital texts is critical in encouraging interpretations, that user motivation determines use of a platform, and that greater mental engagement mediates political actions. Despite some geographic limitations and coverage and dependences on self-reported information, the study can be used in gaining some insights into the role of social media as an agent of political socialization of new voters. Its implications on the practice are of use in political communicators, educators, and policymakers who aim to improve digital literacy and develop informed democratic engagement among young people.