Digital Echo Chambers and Political Polarization: A Mixed-Method Study of Social Media Use and Political Attitude about 2022 No-confidence Vote in Pakistan

Abstract

Aim of the Study: This paper discusses how social media contributed to political polarization in Pakistan in the 2022 no-confidence vote and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) mobilization. Based on an integrated theoretical framework that combines the agenda-setting theory, the uses and gratifications theory and the echo chamber theory, the study examines the impact of social media use on political attitudes and the role in causing ideological polarization.

Methodology: It was a mixed-method study design including survey data (n=320) and qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews (n = 30). The quantitative analysis involving correlation and multiple regression indicates that social media use, belief reinforcement, are important predictors of political polarization, whereas political engagement is a modulating factor. Further validity and reliability tests prove that the measurement model is sound.

Findings: The combination of quantitative and qualitative outcomes points to the fact that political polarization is a multi-dimensional process, which is determined by the interplay of technological systems and user behavior. Interestingly enough, the research establishes a discrepancy between how users experience algorithmic filtering and how they are aware of its impact. The results indicate that social media is a multiplier of the existing socio-political divisions but not a factor in polarization.

Conclusion: The research add to the literature by bringing empirical evidence in a developing democratic situation and by offering practical implications of digital literacy, platform governance, and policy interventions to decrease online polarization.