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1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 202598Digital Civic Literacy And Political Engagement on Social Media: A Study of Civic Education Students at FKIP Universitas Nusa Cendana During the 2024 Kupang City Local ElectionFredik Lambertus KolloPancasila and Civic Education Study Programme, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Kupang, IndonesiaE-mail: fredik.lambertus.kollo@staf.undana.ac.idAbstractSocial media has become a dominant platform for the dissemination of various issues, including political discourse, particularly during the 2024 local election (Pilkada) in Kupang City. In this context, students of the Civic Education Study Program (PPKn) at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Nusa Cendana (FKIP Undana), are expected to possess strong digital civic literacy as future educators. However, navigating political content in digital spaces with critical and ethical awareness remains a recurring challenge. This study aims to explore the experiences of PPKn FKIP Undana students in engaging with political issues%u2014especially those surrounding the Kupang City local election%u2014on social media, analyzed through the lens of digital civic literacy.Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, this research seeks to uncover the subjective meanings embedded in students%u2019 responses to political content on digital platforms. Data were obtained through purposive interviews with selected students and analyzed using a four-step qualitative data analysis technique: data collection, reduction, display, and conclusion drawing.The findings indicate that students demonstrate varied levels of digital civic awareness. A number of participants were able to critically evaluate political information, maintain neutrality, and engage in constructive discussions on social media. Conversely, some students exhibited emotionally driven participation, including the uncritical sharing of unverified political content. These contrasting responses underscore the complexity of civic engagement in the digital era.In conclusion, PPKn FKIP Undana students exhibit diverse capacities in digital civic literacy when responding to political discourse during the 2024 Kupang City local election. While some show critical and ethical digital engagement, others remain susceptible to disinformation and lack reflective participation. These findings highlight the need for integrative civic education strategies that strengthen students' digital competencies in political contexts.Keywords: digital literacy, civic education, social media, local election, disinformation, phenomenology.