Social Media and Political Awareness and Participation Among Youth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Implications for Democratic Governance in Pakistan

Abstract

This article explores the link between the youth, social media, and political awareness in Pakistan—with a focus on the politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There is no denying that political parties, media wings, student unions, newspapers, etc., still play a role in politics, but there is a hard-to-ignore trend in politics—that is, it is becoming a social media phenomenon. This article, therefore, aims to analyze the role of social media in generating and spreading political awareness in the youths of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and its implications for democratic governance in Pakistan. Methodologically, this is a qualitative study. It is based on semi-structured interviews with twelve young people aged 18-29 (6 male and 6 female), who were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected from the interviews was then analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis technique—complemented and triangulated with content analysis of published research on the phenomenon. Some of the themes that emerged from the collected data are as follows: Social media does not supplant the hujra (a gathering place for men); rather, it complements it; its use can help create and spread political awareness; it also creates enabling conditions for women to participate in politics; and a recognizable online to offline process relies on an individual organizing the social and an institution reacting.This article recommends that responsible use of social media can be useful in generating political awareness among people, which will, in the long run, help consolidate democracy in the country.