PERAN MEDIA SOSIAL DALAM MENINGKATKAN PARTISIPASI POLITIK PADA PEMILU 2024 DI PEKON TALANG ACEH

This study examines the role of social media in enhancing political participation in the 2024 General Election at Pekon Talang Aceh, Pesisir Barat Regency. The problem underlying this research is the low quality of community political engagement, which is often influenced by social environment and viral information rather than a critical understanding of candidate programs. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through interviews with village officials, traditional leaders, and local citizens, supported by documentation of online activities. The results show that social media, particularly WhatsApp and Facebook, functions as the main channel for disseminating political information, mobilizing citizens to attend election-related activities, and creating interactive spaces for political discussion within families and community groups. These dynamics increase voter turnout quantitatively, but the quality of participation remains limited due to weak digital literacy. The study concludes that social media has a dual role: strengthening democratic participation at the grassroots level while also presenting challenges related to misinformation and shallow political understanding. Strengthening digital literacy and political education is therefore essential to improve the quality of democracy in rural communities.