The Relationship Between Social Media Usage And Political Socialization Among Youth In Kp

Abstract

This study explores that how social media shapes the political socialization of youth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, focusing on participation, knowledge, efficacy, and attitudes. Based on data from 385 respondents across urban and rural areas, it finds that social media significantly influences political engagement, with high usage levels (M=6.003) and strong correlations to attitudes (r=0.991) and participation (r=0.986). Regression analysis shows social media accounts for 98.1% of variance in political socialization. Younger respondents (18-25) are more engaged, while higher education levels are inversely related to socialization scores. Despite its benefits in fostering political awareness and enabling civic participation, challenges such as misinformation and echo chambers remain. The study highlights the need for the digital literacy programs and equitable technology access to bridge the urban-rural divide. The social media is concluded to be dynamic space for shaping political identities, with significant potential to strengthen democratic processes in KP. The study offered some recommendations as extracted from the conclusion of current study.