Political campaigners in the upcoming Sabah State election must adopt authentic, youth-centric strategies on social media to effectively engage young voters.

Despite being prolific users of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, their participation is largely passive, more about consuming content than contributing to political discourse, new research by Dr. Latif Lai of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, has found.

Titled “Beyond the Ballot: Measuring Political Literacy in the Age of Social Media,” the study reveals a critical gap between Gen Z’s high social media usage and their low levels of political literacy and engagement.

Presenting his findings at the 3rd Regional Symposium on Social Sciences and Humanities Issues held today, Dr. Lai highlighted a disconnect between the perceived political agency of young voters and their actual knowledge. “While Gen Z shows moderate levels of political efficacy, the mismatch with their factual understanding puts them at risk of misinformation,” he explained.

Based on a survey of 344 undergraduates in Sabah, the study concludes that traditional, top-down campaign methods are no longer effective.

To win over this generation, political parties must embrace interactive, visually engaging approaches that resonate with youth concerns, such as the cost of living, employment, and mental health, on platforms they already frequent.