Influence of Polarized Social Media Content on Youth’s Political Views: A Provincial Comparison

• Rahman khan

  Author

This paper examines the effect of exposure to polarized political information on social media in the political perceptions of young people in three large provinces of Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP), Punjab, and Sindh. As youths depend more and more on the digital platforms as the source of political information, social media is now being used as a potent platform where partisan accounts, emotional framing, and the flow of selective information are exercised. The results demonstrate that provincial differences rely on the political history of the regions, media consumption patterns, and party leadership. The young people in KP would be inclined towards parties that are related to reformist and nationalist discourse, whereas young people in Punjab have high polarisation because of the high competition between parties and the presence of a large number of people active on digital platforms. The politics of Sindh also affect the political perceptions as ethnic and party loyalties that have been established over time are supported by the targeted social media discourses. The analysis finds that polarized content reduces the critical thinking process, expands the echo chambers, and intensifies the provincial political divides. It suggests the implementation of digital literacy programs and responsible political communication in order to mitigate the polarization of the online discourse and encourage young people to engage in politics knowledgeably.

Keywords: Social Media Polarization,Youth Political Perception, KP, Punjab, Sindh, Political Parties, Digital Echo Chambers, Online Political Behavior, Provincial Comparison, Political Communication

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