Access to Media and Inequality Reduction: A Quantitative Study of the Digital Divide among Pakistani Youth

Abstract

Aim of the study: Study examine associations between digital media access and perceived inequality reduction across social inclusion, empowerment and agency, access to opportunities, and awareness of rights and social justice among Pakistani youth.

Methodology: Using cross-sectional survey data was collected from 287 participants aged 19–30 years from urban and rural areas. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson and Spearman correlations, and demographic-adjusted ordinary least-squares regression with conventional standard errors and Student-t confidence intervals. Independent-samples Welch t-tests and classical one-way ANOVA examined exploratory demographic differences. Holm correction addressed multiple comparisons within the specified test families.

Findings: The pooled media-access–inequality reduction correlation was .947, compared with .241 within rural respondents. After demographic adjustment, positive associations were observed for overall perceived inequality reduction (B = 0.214, 95% CI [0.130, 0.298]), empowerment and agency (B = 0.731), and access to opportunities (B = 0.344), with Holm-adjusted p < .001 for each. Social inclusion (B = −0.162, adjusted p = .080) and rights awareness (B = −0.057, adjusted p = .432) had negative point estimates, but neither association was significant after correction. Gender comparisons showed nominal differences on five scales. Age-group ANOVA was assumption-limited because the oldest group had zero variance.

Conclusion Access to digital media had varying relations with outcome dimensions. The negative estimates for social inclusion and rights knowledge did not constitute enough evidence for inverse relations after correcting for multiple tests. Significant location-linked response patterns and repeated records highly constrain inference.