Exploring the Impact of Traditional and Social Media on Political Awareness and Opinion Formation Among Pakistani Youth

Abstract

The study evaluates Pakistani youth media behavior regarding political news and opinion development while analyzing the changes between traditional platforms (television and newspapers) and digital platforms (Facebook, X/Twitter, and YouTube). A substantial 64% of Pakistani citizens fall into the young generation which makes them vital elements in creating future political dialogue. The dynamic political climate of Pakistan requires analyzing youth media habits because it impacts their news comprehension abilities and news source trustworthiness and their vulnerability to false information. The survey results demonstrate that social media has become the top choice for acquiring political news because 80.1% of respondents use digital platforms while television reaches only 13% and newspapers keep a minimum of 3.5%. Social media faces doubts about its trustworthiness because 51.9 percent of users acknowledge inaccurate and unverified materials found on the platform. Traditional media maintains a reputation for solid credibility despite reduced audience numbers since 22.5% of participants trust its information more than the 7.2% who trust social media. Research shows that Facebook functions as an important media platform for molding political views through video content which proves the most influential format for influencing user opinions. This data demonstrates how post-truth discourse combined with algorithm-based echo chambers promotes political polarization and results in instability. Users believe social media platforms distribute biased information toward a total of 63.4% respondents while 48.7% people state social media trends impact their political mindsets. Traditional media maintains its role in delivering structured news but many view its significance fading since 43.8% of survey respondents agreed that television news and newspaper publications will eventually disappear. According to the research findings social media provides political news more freely and promptly yet critical thinking programs are necessary to teach teenagers how to identify biased and fake content. Building solutions for these problems becomes vital for Pakistani youth to obtain valid political information since it advances their understanding of politics.