Social Media and Political Polarization: Investigating the Role of Online Platforms in Shaping Public Opinion

Abstract

This qualitative research paper examines the extent to which social media contributes to the polarization of politics and the way it affects the general opinion of the youth in Pakistan. The 12 purposively sampled social media users aged 18-30 were interviewed using semi- structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results indicate four connected mechanisms that organize online political interaction and include selective exposure, echo chambers, algorithmic bias, and affective polarization. Respondents indicated that they are proactive in managing their social media surroundings in order to prevent conflict, but the algorithms used on platforms tend to encourage conformity to the homogeneity of ideologies by promoting emotionally charged and affirmative content. These forces lead to increased in-group identities, high levels of hostility against contrary opinions, and vulnerability to misinformation. Other issues raised by the participants included perceived manipulation in algorithmic curation and a decrease in trust in digital political information. In sum, the paper shows that social media is not a neutral communication site but rather a dynamic mediator of political sense-making, which influences both cognitively and emotionally the political identity. The results support the necessity of the improvement of digital literacy, transparency of the platform, and policies to promote healthier and more constructive political discourse in the online environment.