Role of Social Media in Fostering Youth Activism in Pakistan’s General Election 2024
Abstract
This study investigates the role of social media in fostering youth activism during Pakistan’s General Election 2024, a period marked by increased digital engagement and political expression. Drawing on Mobilization Theory and Reinforcement Theory, the research explores how social media usage influences political interest, political efficacy, and activism among young adults. The study seeks to answer the following key questions: How does social media usage shape youth political interest? What is the relationship between political efficacy and youth activism? Using a quantitative approach, data were collected via an online questionnaire and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test hypothesized relationships among variables. The results demonstrate that social media use significantly enhances political interest, which in turn is a strong predictor of youth activism. Additionally, while social media positively affects political efficacy, the latter does not significantly predict activism, suggesting a disconnect between perceived political confidence and actual political engagement. These findings underscore the importance of digital platforms in youth political mobilization while highlighting limitations in translating digital engagement into real-world activism. The study contributes to existing literature by providing context-specific insights from Pakistan’s electoral landscape and emphasizes the need for political actors to bridge the gap between online engagement and offline participation through inclusive and responsive strategies.
Keywords: Social media, youth activism, political engagement, Pakistan elections, political efficacy.
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