Demographic Profile of University Youth Engaged in Political-Related Activities on Social Media in Southern Malaysia

Abstract

This study presents a descriptive demographic profile of university youth engaged in political-related activities on social media within selected Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA) in the Southern Zone of Malaysia. Using a quantitative descriptive research design, data were collected from 420 students across six public universities. The demographic variables examined include gender, age, ethnicity, religion and educational attainment. The findings describe a respondent cohort that is predominantly female (59.8%), largely within the 21–25 age group (59.3%) and characterized by a high concentration of Malay (95.5%) and Muslim (97.4%) respondents. In terms of educational attainment, more than half of the respondents are pursuing or have completed bachelor’s degree programmes (56.0%). This study establishes baseline demographic data that contextualize youth populations involved in political-related social media activities within specific institutional and regional settings. As a descriptive analysis, the study does not examine behavioural outcomes, media literacy levels or political competence and no causal or inferential claims are advanced.