Contemporary Bangladesh: An Econometric Descriptive Analysis of Social Media Shaping Narratives, Gen-Z Identity, and Political Engagement

Abstract

This research discusses how social media is drastically changing the face of identity and political involvement for Gen-Z in Bangladesh, drawing on different social theories. It focuses on the shift from dominant meta-narratives to the shift to personalized micro-narratives driven by digital platforms. Drawing on the theory of Francois Lyotard, reporting the decline of meta-narratives, and from Anthony Giddens' Structuration theory, the paper explores how such theoretical positions have accounted for the dynamics within the lives of young people residing in the digital age. Data collection was a mixed-methods process wherein questionnaires were distributed to 115 Bangladeshi university students over an online modality. As a result, from the analysis that social media in Bangladesh shapes individual identities while developing political engagement among the youth thereby contributing to the evolution of the socio-political environment. The study reveals that frequent social media use contributes significantly to individual identity formation and moderate political engagement among Bangladeshi youth.