Misinformation Exposure, Political Polarization, and Democratic Resilience among Young Social Media Users in South Asia: A Survey and Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65761/jssp.2025.33Keywords:
Digital democracy misinformation, political polarization South Asia, youth media literacy, fact-checking effectiveness, democratic resilience social media, political communication PakistanAbstract
Background: The rapid growth of social media has transformed political communication and civic engagement among young people while increasing exposure to misinformation that contributes to political polarization and threatens democratic resilience. Understanding these dynamics is particularly important in South Asia, where youth rely heavily on digital platforms for political information.
Objective: To examine the relationship between misinformation exposure, political polarization, and democratic resilience among young social media users in South Asia, and to evaluate the moderating role of media literacy and the effectiveness of fact-checking interventions.
Methods: A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey with an embedded experiment was conducted among 568 participants aged 18–29 years recruited from universities, youth centers, and community organizations across major South Asian cities. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, validated media literacy and polarization scales, and experimental misinformation vignettes. Participants were randomly assigned to a control or corrected-misinformation group. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, multiple regression, moderation analysis, and factor analysis, while qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis.
Results: Participants reported frequent exposure to political misinformation and moderate to high political polarization. Corrective information significantly improved misinformation detection compared with the control group (p<0.001). Media literacy positively predicted misinformation detection and moderated the association between misinformation exposure and political polarization. Participants also expressed relatively low trust in democratic institutions but strong support for fact-checking and content moderation.
Conclusion: Misinformation undermines democratic resilience among young social media users in South Asia. Strengthening media literacy and evidence-based fact-checking strategies can reduce susceptibility to misinformation, mitigate political polarization, and promote informed democratic participation.
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