LITERASI POLITIK GEN Z DAN MILENIAL TENTANG MANIPULASI PESAN KAMPANYE

Studi Kasus Pada Pemilihan Walikota Kupang Periode 2024-2029

Abstrak

This study aims to analyze campaign message manipulation, the political literacy of Gen Z and Millennial voters, and the perceptions of Gen Z and Millennials regarding campaign message manipulation in the 2024 Kupang Mayoral Election. The background of this study refers to the increasing use of social media in political campaigns, which not only expands access to information but also facilitates the spread of hoaxes and manipulative messages. This condition shapes the political perceptions of Gen Z and Millennial voters. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method through in-depth interviews with young voters in several villages in Kupang City and virtual observation through public debate broadcasts on YouTube. The constructivist paradigm is used to understand how voters construct political meanings based on experience, social interaction, and media exposure. The results of the study show that campaign message manipulation was found through the use of hyperbolic language, incomplete data, and emotional narratives that highlighted the image of the candidates. Social media has become the main channel for spreading manipulative messages due to its fast, visual, and emotionally evocative nature. Campaign message manipulation has a significant impact on the political perceptions of voters who vote based on shared values, emotional bonds, and sociological proximity, rendering them unable to think rationally when making political decisions. This study concludes that low political literacy makes Gen Z and millennial voters vulnerable to manipulative messages, thus requiring the strengthening of political education and digital media literacy to encourage more rational political awareness in the democratic process.