The Dynamics of Interactive Audience Behavior on Digital News Platforms:
An Analytical Study of Usage Patterns and Motivations for Engagement on Platform (X)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61856/39nn9m60Keywords:
Audience Dynamics, Digital News Platforms, Platform X, Digital Interaction.Abstract
This study examines audience engagement on Platform (X) by analyzing the interplay between technical determinants like attention algorithms and users’ psycho-social motivations to understand how users transition from passive recipients into interactive gatekeepers who co-manage the flow of news. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the researchers administered a validated questionnaire to a purposive, non-probability sample of 100 individuals selected based on job titles, utilizing advanced statistical modeling via SPSS including Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses. Demographically, the sample exhibited unique characteristics as 76% held postgraduate degrees and 43% were aged 60 or older. The key findings revealed a predominant pattern of silent interaction where users actively consume and follow news daily but prefer lurking or reposting over active commenting, while confirming that content quality and perceived credibility serve as the core behavioral contract driving digital participation with content quality alone explaining 23.3% of the variance in interaction behavior. Conversely, hypotheses relating to platform design and usability were rejected as they did not statistically influence engagement levels, and interactive behavior did not vary significantly by age or news interests although it did differ based on users' digital experience. The study concludes that digital audiences practice conscious selectivity to fulfill cognitive and social gratifications, recommending that news organizations shift from a traditional news industry to an engagement industry by optimizing visual formats and digital editorial strategies tailored to active users.
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