FROM IMAGE TO VOTING INTENTION

Book excerpt: This book examines the role of social media in shaping candidate images and its impact on voter attitudes and voting intentions in Indonesian elections. The book uses the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to explore how external stimuli, such as social media information and candidate images, affect voters’ internal processes. It focuses particularly on how these stimuli shape attitudes that drive voting intentions. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are highlighted as important tools for political engagement. Candidates like Prabowo Subianto and Ganjar Pranowo effectively utilized these platforms to enhance their appeal among younger voters, especially millennials and Gen Z. The book also emphasizes the significance of personal appeal, especially charm, as a key factor in shaping positive voter attitudes. While social media information is shown to have a strong influence, the book addresses the challenges posed by biased or misleading information. It also reveals that there are no significant differences between science and non-science students in how they form attitudes toward candidates, suggesting that candidate image and social media content resonate broadly across different demographic groups. This book provides insights into the growing role of social media in shaping political campaigns in the digital age.