POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND DIGITAL MEDIA: EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ENGAGEMENT AMONG MOROCCAN YOUTH

Egileak

  • Abdelaaziz El Bakkali Media & Cultural Anthropology Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fès, Morocco orcid.org/0000-0002-0010-9802
  • Elhoucine Boualili PhD, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fès, Morocco orcid.org/0009-0006-7620-7309

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v11i4.2054

Gako-hitzak:

Moroccan youth, digital activism, political identity, counter-discourse, alternative participation

Laburpena

Over the past decades, most research on youth and political engagement has consistently indicated a deep-seated distrust and apathy among youth towards formal political participation. This trend is supported by descriptive data illustrating their low representativeness in institutional politics. Moreover, political party leaders have publicly confirmed this growing disengagement in Morocco during recent congresses and public meetings with citizens preceding the 2026 legislative election. In contrast to these institutional forms of participation, the increasing inclination of youths towards alternative- albeit informal-modes of political engagement remains significantly under-researched, particularly digital modes of political engagement among Moroccan youth. Indeed, youth are increasingly forming robust social networks through digital media as an alternative tool for political activism and to challenge mainstream political structures. In this context, this study highlights the transition from physical spaces to virtual arenas as primary venues for political expression among youth. Furthermore, it examines how the use of digital platforms for political communication influences and reshapes youth political identity in the new media era. Third, the study examines political content generated and circulated by Moroccan youth to confront and challenge dominant political discourse. To this end, and based on eight focus group discussions- representing different age, gender, educational background, and political affiliation- conducted with 60 M.A. students in Fez and Taza faculties, the study examines the lived experiences of some Moroccan youth- both digital activists and non-activists- to uncover their perceptions of how their counter-political discourse influences social change and public opinion. Ultimately, the study's findings confirm the hybrid, episodic, resistant, and constrained nature of youth political participation- beyond mainstream discourses on political apathy and disenchantment- towards an understanding of alternative politics from below.

 

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Egileen biografiak

  • Abdelaaziz El Bakkali, Media & Cultural Anthropology Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fès, Morocco orcid.org/0000-0002-0010-9802

    Abdelaaziz El Bakkali is an associate professor of language and cultural studies at the faculty of letters Dhar Mehraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University – Fez. He is a Fulbright Alumni of the US Department of State-sponsored scholarship and a visiting scholar to the University of Delaware, USA, where he led many research projects.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0010-9802

  • Elhoucine Boualili, PhD, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fès, Morocco orcid.org/0009-0006-7620-7309

    Elhoucine Boualili is a PhD student at the “Cultures, Représentations, Education, Didactique & Ingénierie de Formation” research lab, Dhar El Mehraz, Fez. His research focuses on youth political participation via digital media, exploring how digital platforms shape political engagement and activism. He holds an M.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7620-7309

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Deskargak

Argitaratua

2025-10-10

Zenbakia

Libk. 11 Zk. 4 (2025)

Atala

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