Youth, Politics, and Cyberspace: The Impact of Virtual Spaces on Partisan Tendencies and Political Attitudes in 1990s-born Iranians
Keywords:
Virtual spaces, political participation, youth, partisan activities, social media, political engagement, ANOVA, digital platformsAbstract
The expansion of virtual spaces has fundamentally transformed how individuals—especially youth—participate in political processes. This study focuses on how virtual spaces, particularly social media and online platforms, influence the political attitudes and partisan engagement of Iranian youth born in the 1990s (Gregorian calendar: 1991–2000). This study employed a quantitative research design and utilized Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for evaluation. Data were collected from a sample of 1990s-born youth, and the study hypotheses were tested accordingly. ANOVA was used to analyze mean differences in political attitude scores and partisan activity levels. ANOVA results indicate that virtual spaces have a statistically significant impact on political attitudes (F = 23.53, p < 0.001) and partisan activities (F = 20.80, p < 0.01) among youth born in the 1990s. The findings confirm that virtual spaces play a vital role in shaping the political perspectives and partisan engagement of young individuals. The substantial influence of virtual spaces demonstrates that they serve as essential tools for political expression and participation among the younger generation. However, alongside increased engagement, these spaces also pose challenges such as the potential spread of misinformation and the intensification of political polarization.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Shahin Golafshannia, Mohammad Ali Khosravi, Seyed Ali Mortazaviyan, Ahmad Bakhshaishi Ardestani (Author)
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