Information experiences of first-time voters on Instagram: navigating algorithms, emotions and political meaning

Purpose This study explores how first-time voters in Indonesia experience and engage with political information on Instagram during a regional gubernatorial election in Indonesia, using an information experience perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 16 undergraduate Library and Information Science students at a public university in Indonesia. Data were analysed thematically to identify patterns in how participants encountered, evaluated, interpreted and managed political information in algorithmically mediated social media environments. Findings Five interrelated themes were identified: modes of encounter, information evaluation, emotional engagement, sense-making and interpretation, and information practices. The findings show that students navigate algorithmically curated feeds, visual political cues and peer-influence discourse while actively assessing credibility, regulating emotional responses and curating their information environments. Information experience in this context emerges as a dynamic process shaped by the interaction of algorithms, emotions and individual agency. Originality/value This study extends Information Experience research beyond educational and professional settings into the context of digital citizenship. By foregrounding algorithmic mediation and emotional engagement in political information environments, it contributes to theoretical discussions on information experience and information practices in contemporary social media contexts, particularly within developing country settings.