About the Author(s)
Eman Fatima is currently pursuing her Bachelors degree in International Relations from Government College University Lahore. She has keen interest in understanding complexities of global politics and dynamics that shape international interactions.
What is democracy and how is social media promoting it?
Democracy basically means “the participation of people”- a type of system, society or government where decision making is centered on public opinion. Social media is one of the revolutionized inventions in communication technology and it has changed the dynamics of world. In digitalized world, social media platforms have interweaved social and political life. Political insights and political awareness, political happenings and activities, changing national and global dimensions have now grippled the means of social media strongly to access the world. After the 20th century world political system moved towards the democratization and they realized the true value of democratic states. It is crucial to examine and analyse the relation because democracy is the trending system of world and social media is the phenomena that could change dramatically how and how much people participate in governing system.
The Internet is available in Pakistan since 1992. 2010-2011 was the period when Pakistanis started to shift their focus more on social media platforms, especially Facebook and YouTube. At that time, people were using mainstream media like Television, Newspapers, Radio, etc. As the people of Pakistan start buying more android phones, the trend shifts gradually from traditional mainstream media to social media.
From campaigning on social media platforms to voting online, it has become a strong revolutionary and propaganda tool. Political awareness is a very vital element of democratic states as it allows the general masses to examine the political realities of their society and then make their judgment. Social media now is in reach of every age group in Pakistan from teenagers to senior citizens. Nowadays social media political content is mostly generated by the users rather than by the media journalists Moreover, many politicians and public figures shifted to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube channels to propagate their manifestos and to connect with the people directly. This direct access prevents any filtered and manipulative statement to circulate among populace.
In Pakistan, recent events have manifested the strengthened democracy on the pillars of social media. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement gained momentum after the extrajudicial killing of Pashtun youth, Naqeebullah Mehsud. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook became a crucial tool for the movement to raise awareness about human rights abuses and demand justice. Social media campaign erupted under the hashtags #FreeAsimJamali #FreeImranRiazKhan #FreeSyedJibran and many others.
These prominent activists were arrested, sparking online discussions about freedom of expression and potential government. The ousting of former Prime Minister Imran Khan sparked an outrage among people. Social media platforms were extensively used to mobilize the youth. The large-scale public participation, gatherings and protests of youth were often called on X platform (ex-twitter).
Another incident can be cited as when ex PM Imran Khan was arrested, all social media platforms were used by the supporters to call for a massive protest on 9 May. During the elections of 2024, when many parties were banned from campaigning and gatherings to raise public support during elections, all political rallies and meetings were done digitally. Social media platforms like Twitter buzzed with citizen journalists reporting on polling stations, potential irregularities, and voter turnout. Twitter Facebook and all other dominant platforms have become the centre of public attraction, and they contribute a lot in promoting public opinions, decisions and their awareness.
Challenges and limitations of social media in promoting democracy in Pakistan
But in Pakistan prominently, the link between media and politics has always been a hot headline topic. In past, traditional media was censored and controlled by the government whether it was democratic or dictatorship. Now this control has diverted towards social media. Social media faces many challenges and restrictions in promoting democracy in Pakistan where government has major control on platforms.
- Some concerning limitations of social media
Limitations can include the use of social media as a tool used by politicians and public figures for propaganda and manipulation. Recently Pakistan has faced frequent shutdown of social media platforms to limit the public mobility and to suppress their voices. The most prevalent present case is ban on X. This suppression of free speech is alarming as platform X is vital for journalists, activists and citizens to express themselves freely. Similarly, whenever there is a rally or protest, the social media platforms are shutdown within seconds.
Second on social media the authenticity of the news and content depends on likes, share and followers instead of actual transparency. In Pakistan, due to media illiteracy, people prefer sensationalism that promote sensational content over in-depth analysis and nuanced discussion.
Moreover, the privacy concern is most prevalent limitation of social media. Social media platforms collect massive data of users from their browsing habits to their location as well as private messages The information is usually advertised and used by different agencies to create their monopoly and to manipulate cognitive minds in their own favour. This information can also be sold to third parties or even leaked in a data breach. Algorithm of social media personalizes the content, exposing users to the content that they want to see or believe thus limiting them in certain domain. All these factors limit the participation and activeness of populace in political matters and democracy.
- Challenges that need to be compensated
Pakistan has been battling the effects of hate speech, particularly against religious and ethnic minorities, women, and other marginalised groups and this has moved into online space. Politicians give the speech –there is a wave of fear. They tweet-and there is explosion of hatred. Facebook and Twitter monitoring in late 2019 found just over half (52.8%) of hate speech directed at the Ahmadi religious community. Much hate speech (13.4%) was directed at progressive Muslims, with targets called un-Islamic, polytheists, or Indians in disguise for their tolerant attitude toward other faiths—specifically in relation to a Hindu temple being built in Islamabad. Shia Muslims garnered 11.5% of hate content on the social media platforms. Pakistani digital spaces feature a high volume of anti-India rhetoric, and minorities and critics of the state are often denounced as being anti-Pakistan or pro-India.
Disinformation – false information that is deliberately created is now an undeniable part of Pakistan’s information landscape. Pakistani citizens have been exposed to dangerous false content on various other themes, including Covid-related misinformation and anti-vaccination propaganda. In 2019, Twitter and Facebook shut down thousands of accounts claimed to be run by Pakistan military’s PR wing. In another instance, an analysis of Twitter trends during Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s protest in April 2021 revealed that approximately 61 percent of the total hashtags “#CivilWarinPak” and the like originated from India with several Indian-based Twitter fake accounts producing a total of 84,000 tweets, retweets and replies using the hashtag. In the same year, Pulwama-Balakot crisis several “doctored and mislabelled” pictures and videos went viral that “fuelled calls for military retaliation” against Pakistan.
Unequal access to the internet across Pakistan creates a digital divide. This marginalizes those who cannot participate in online discussions and access crucial information, hindering inclusive democracy. The rural areas are more prone to political manipulation and misinformation.
Recommendation to enhance the positive impact of social media on democracy in Pakistan
Social media has the potential to be a powerful tool for strengthening democracy in Pakistan. Here are some recommendations to enhance its positive impact:
- Launch public awareness campaigns in collaboration with civil society organizations to educate citizens about responsible social media use and identifying misinformation.
- Develop user-friendly e-governance platforms allowing citizens to engage with government institutions, submit complaints, and access information, fostering transparency and trust.
- Social media platforms should run targeted voter registration campaigns, particularly focusing on young people and underrepresented groups.
- Establish an independent, well-resourced fact-checking body to verify information circulating online, particularly during elections.
- Collaborate with social media platforms to develop clear and transparent content moderation guidelines that address hate speech and disinformation while upholding freedom of expression.
Conclusion and future implications about democracy and role of media
Social media and youth are corelated. In Pakistan, the numbers of influencers, civil journalists, public figures, politicians on social media are increasing day by day. But despite being fourth pillar of democracy, social media needs major reforms in Pakistan where illiteracy is sky-high, hatred is rocketing, and political polarization is strengthening. Hatred and misinformation are corrupting youth. Social media platforms are under government jurisdiction and each party tends to sensor or ban those content not in their favour thus suppressing the opinion of certain group. But despite these shortcomings, the youth and public have gained much influence due to access to social media. Whenever there is a misfortune, the people express their opinion and distrust through digital campaigns, hashtags, tweets and posts. Pakistan’s young population can be a powerful force for democratic change if they are empowered to participate in the political process. In future due to social media, a significant rise in democratic activities can be predicted because the world now is operating digitally. Overall, social media’s impact on Pakistan’s democracy hinges on how these factors are addressed. It can be a tool for strengthening democratic processes or undermining them.
