Social Media and Youth Political Participation in Indonesia (2021–2025) A Scoping Review with Digital Adoption, Electoral Participation, and Misinformation Context

Abstract

This scoping review synthesises 2021–2025 evidence on how social media relates to youth political participation in Indonesia, with attention to contemporary digital adoption, election participation indicators, and the governance risks of misinformation. A desk-study scoping approach was used to map empirical findings and dominant mechanisms from peer-reviewed studies and high-provenance institutional sources. Evidence was charted into four themes: (1) participation pathways via political information exposure, networked discussion, and mobilisation; (2) divergence between low-cost online engagement and sustained offline participation; (3) mediators and moderators, including political efficacy, trust, and misinformation exposure; and (4) the regulatory and platform-policy environments shaping participation ecosystems. Across the included studies, social media is consistently linked to political expression, discussion, and online engagement, while its translation into offline participation depends strongly on efficacy, organisational channels, and perceived risks. Contextual indicators show a highly connected youth environment and intense electoral communication through platforms, yet they also raise concern over disinformation and platform governance. The review concludes that universities and civic institutions should prioritise capacity building, media and information literacy, and structured offline participation pathways that can convert digital attention into meaningful democratic engagement.