Pengaruh Akses Media Sosial Terhadap Tingkat Pengetahuan Masyarakat Kota Palangkaraya Mengenai Isu Demonstrasi 2025

Abstract

The development of digital technology has made social media a significant digital political infrastructure, especially in shaping public knowledge about current issues. This study aims to analyze the influence of social media access on the level of knowledge of the people of Palangkaraya City regarding the 2025 Demonstration Issue. The reason for conducting this analysis is the limited empirical representation of communities in cities such as Palangkaraya in similar studies, as well as the urgency to understand the role of social media in shaping public understanding of complex and sensitive political issues in real time. Data on social media usage in Palangkaraya City shows that platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X are the main channels, with TikTok dominating as the platform of choice for the majority of respondents. Based on Uses and Gratifications Theory, the results of simple linear regression analysis reveal that social media access has a positive and significant effect on the level of public knowledge. These findings reinforce the role of social media as an effective channel for political information while identifying the importance of digital literacy to mitigate vulnerability to misinformation.