X’S POLITICAL PULSE: AWAKENING AWARENESS AMONG PAKISTANI YOUTH

Abstract

The present study intended to explore the use of X among Pakistani undergraduate students and its connection to their political awareness. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 109 undergraduate students in different years and disciplines. A majority of respondents stated that they own an X account and frequently use the platform. The students achieved an average score of 3.53 out of six points during their brief political knowledge assessment. The users who operate X every day show superior performance compared to the group which avoids using X completely. Most participants reported that X showed them various political perspectives, but few said they encountered content which matched their existing beliefs. The study showed that students still use proxy applications to reach Twitter after the government dropped its ban during May 2025. The government ban seems to have affected how students interacted with the platform, according to available evidence. The research revealed that many students continue using proxy applications for accessing Twitter despite the lifting of the government's ban in May 2025. Thus, it may be assumed that the ban introduced by the government impacted students' usage of the platform. A majority of students follow parties on X instead of individual journalists or media outlets. The tendency is concerning since it may indicate that students see a single perspective on political events. Therefore, the study concluded that X can be viewed as an essential instrument allowing young people in Pakistan to get acquainted with politics. However, at the same time, it may become a platform enabling students to perceive only information aligning with their preconceptions. According to the findings, undergraduates should be instructed to analyze information posted in mass media carefully.