Online civic engagement and democracy among the youth

The evolution of a networked social media movement, organised largely around digital tools and social media platforms, is reshaping civic engagement and democracy, not only in the case of large-scale civic and political uprisings but also in the context of daily engagement with personal and public discourse or matters to bring about social change among the youth in Namibia.However, over the last several decades, young people&#039;s participation in traditional media for civic engagement in wealthy democracies, such as voting and political party affiliation (in the case of young adults), has been steadily declining in traditional media.The information age has provided the young with a community in terms of a &#039;digital place of common interest as well as a shared physical space&#039;.Social media offers its own public sphere for digital natives, and gone are the days of the blind following the blind. Thus, the current generation, namely Gen Z, is the most informed generation of voters to date, given the influence and wide range of social media outlets at their disposal.However, they are less invested in ‘dutiful’ citizenship acts, such as voting, favouring instead a “personalised politics of expressive engagement," such as digital networking, self-expression, protests and digital clicks. This clearly indicates the young people&#039;s participation in civic engagement in the mainstream media, e.g., traditional media such as radio and print media, has declined and migrated to digital civic engagement.Digital civic engagement by youth can include digital instances of more conventional hallmarks of civic engagement, such as reading and circulating news, writing emails to an elected representative or community organisation (or interacting with them on social media), or belonging to a campus or community group online, as well as social activism. Civic engagement in NamibiaNamibia is no exception when it comes to using social media platforms, such as Facebook, as tools for daily engagement in personal and public discourse aimed at social change.Among a current population of 3 million, 1.2 million use the internet, while 31.2% are social media users.These statistics signify the Facebook penetration, indicating positive effects of social media on democracy, since social media is the mechanism through which the internet promotes democracy significantly. Facebook has become a platform of noise that drives people to opposite ends, opposing views of the opinion spectrum on political, racial, economic and information issues.This issue arises from the role of Facebook, as to what its contribution is to establishing good public discourse and the influence it has on civic engagement and democracy.However, Namibia has not been spared from these opposing views as well as opposite ends.Parliamentarians, as well as politicians, are eager to control the public use of social media through tightening the law amid claims that internet platforms are being abused to tarnish some political leaders’ images and called for stricter regulations.In 2017, the late Dr Nicky Iyambo said the youth use social media platforms to spread pornographic material, anti-government rants, tribalism, racism, xenophobia and insults.However, some policymakers believe that social media can be used by government as a platform to engage citizens, especially young people, on state programmes, such as public awareness campaigns, community engagement and civic education.It is evident that, in many cases, social media can contribute to division and be weaponised to segregate society, rather than fostering connections and bringing people with different views and opinions together. If not properly understood by policymakers, this could weaken democracy.Namibian perspectiveVarious social media platforms have become valuable tools to foster dialogue among citizens, serving as a platform for political expression and discussions on public interest issues.Activists have found them useful for advocating changes and upholding principles of democracy, freedom of expression and activism online via social media. We witnessed the recent arrest of activists Michael Amushelelo, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament Inna Hengari after they organised a national protest against high unemployment in Namibia. They were later released, with Michael Amushelelo spending almost eight weeks in prison before his release. Their arrests and the alleged police brutality by the Namibian Police in 2023 sparked a spike of reactions across various social media platforms.Meanwhile, social media has become a vital tool for politicians and political parties to engage with voters, especially first-time voters, ahead of this year&#039;s elections.Global perspectiveGlobally, social media platforms provide a space for digital community participation.Facebook has been praised for its potential to facilitate civic engagement and shape democracy. At a time when one of the most significant challenges facing democracy is the decline in citizens&#039; participation in politics, these platforms can help reinvigorate political participation, thereby strengthening democratic accountability at both national and international levels.The role of social media before, during and after the recent spate of protests in Namibia can be summed up in three interrelated ways: to enable cyber activism; to help trigger street demonstrations and to encourage civic engagement by aiding the mobilisation of protests; and to promote a new form of citizen journalism, providing a platform for ordinary citizens to express themselves and document their own experiences. The use of social media and human rightsIn order to protect fundamental rights, the government must meet certain legal requirements to ensure digital rights are protected and enjoyed by all.The right to freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that ”everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”This includes the use of social media to express one’s opinions or view with no intimidation and fear.Free speech and expression are the lifeblood of democracy, enabling open debate and the fair consideration of diverse interests and perspectives.These rights are closely linked to the right to privacy, which is recognized in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, among others.There are differing views and assumptions among commentators and policymakers in parliament regarding how social media can influence civic engagement and promote democracy.This reflects a lack of clarity in understanding of social media use among the youth by policymakers and parliamentarians, who are supposed to protect fundamental rights, including digital rights to express opinions and free speech on social media, despite Namibia being a democratic country.This is due to the fact that there is no guiding policy or legal instrument on privacy in the use of social media in Namibia.The call by parliamentarians for social media to be restricted violates Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Namibian Constitution Article 21 (1) (a): “All persons shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, which includes freedom of the press and other media,” including the use of social media platforms.-This opinion piece has been edited for length and clarity due to space constraints.*Petrus Shoopala is an education officer. The views expressed in this piece are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

Online civic engagement and democracy among the youth

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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Online civic engagement and democracy among the youth

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-01

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