Social Media Use and Experiences of Urban Youth in Malawi's 2019 Presidential Election

Social media’s influence on youth political participation has become a defining feature of contemporary elections, especially in contexts such as Malawi, where democratic engagement and electoral credibility remain contested. This thesis examines how young people in urban Malawi utilized social media during the 2019 presidential elections, focusing on the platforms they accessed, their motivations for engagement, and the meanings they attributed to their digital participation. Guided by Uses and Gratifications Theory and Digital Ethnography methods, the study conducted seventeen semi-structured interviews with urban youth, achieving thematic saturation before reaching the initial target of twenty participants. Thematic analysis showed that Facebook served as the main arena for public political discourse and information sharing, while WhatsApp offered more private and trusted spaces for discussion and mobilisation. Youth engagement was shaped by multiple motivations beyond information-seeking, including emotional support, social belonging, and reputation management. Apparent non-participation, such as silence or passive observation, often reflected strategic self-protection rather than political apathy in Malawi’s low-trust political environment. Although misinformation created fatigue and scepticism, it also encouraged critical digital literacy as participants adopted verification practices and cautious sharing behaviours. Peer networks proved more influential than institutional sources in shaping credibility and mobilisation, with solidarity and emotional reassurance often taking precedence over formal political authority. Overall, youth political engagement in urban Malawi emerged as negotiated and multifaceted, combining information-seeking, identity performance, trust-building, and risk management. This challenges traditional Uses and Gratifications assumptions of rational, individualistic media consumption, showing instead that social media participation was relational, emotionally driven, and culturally situated. The study therefore provides a nuanced, context-specific understanding of how digital platforms simultaneously empowered, constrained, and transformed democratic participation for Malawian youth.