THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIOUR TOWARD AWARENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MISUSE IN THE MALAYSIAN ARMY

Abstract

The extensive proliferation of social media is regarded as having an adverse effect on society. It fosters a deceptive perception within the community, especially among the most actively involved users, specifically the youth who often utilise diverse apps accessible on the market. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been founded and recorded a fourfold rise in incidences of cyberbullying, disinformation, and hate speech. The utilisation of online social media has revolutionised the ways in which Malaysian Army (MA) personnel obtain and share information. The Internet and the prevalent use of social platforms such as blogs, microblogs, Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and others have resulted in an augmented production and unconventional distribution of news and information. Consequently, an investigation of the impact of online social media on the reception and dissemination of information among MA staff is necessary. The apprehension over misinformation is valid, especially given the fast dissemination of the internet and the extensive use of social media platforms that facilitate false news, online gambling, cyberbullying, and fraudulent schemes. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of behaviour toward awareness of social media misuse and to identify the most significant factor of behaviour toward awareness of social media misuse. The findings indicate a moderate association, ranging from 0.4 to 0.6, regarding behaviour toward knowledge of social media usage. The regression study demonstrates that the most important factor influencing awareness of social media misuse is Attitude towards the behavour (t=15.975, P=0.000), followed by Perceived Behaviour Control (t=3.704, P=0.000), and finally Subjective Norm (t=-2.063, P=0.04). Consequently, the Malaysian Army should prioritise cultivating behaviour by focussing on attitude development. In a military organisation, a positive attitude is essential to foster a culture of propriety while using social media.