The impact of political literacy on political participation in social media: The example of the 2023 general elections

In communities governed by democracy, the active participation of citizens in political processes is important for the successful functioning of democracy. Citizens must have received political literacy training in order to have the knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of democratic life. Individuals with high levels of political literacy; They are citizens who are knowledgeable about political processes and have a say in these processes, are aware of their rights and responsibilities, and actively participate. Thanks to the technological developments, political communication has undergone change and transformation. Social media, which entered our lives with the Internet, is the most effective mass communication tool in terms of individuals communicating with each other simultaneously, delivering their voices to the masses quickly in the globalizing world, and having a say in political processes. In this context, social media has the potential to motivate the active participation of citizens in political processes. However, the widespread use of social media has caused citizens to be more exposed to political propaganda. Therefore, individuals with a high level of political literacy gain more importance in terms of understanding political processes and making informed choices. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of voters' political literacy levels on political participation in social media. The research was carried out using the field research method before the 2023 Presidential General Elections with 400 participants living within the central borders of Konya province. According to the results obtained from the data collected by face-to-face survey technique, it was determined that the political literacy levels of the participants were high and as the level of political literacy increased, the level of interest in political campaigns and processes and the level of interest in the country's problems increased. The most frequently used social media platforms of the voters participating in the study were WhatsApp and Instagram, and the mass media they were most affected by in their political decision-making processes were the internet and social media.