Digital Media Literacy and Political Participation: The Mediating Role of Information- Seeking Behavior of Youth in Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Media literacy is considered as an essential competency in the digital age as it enables the individuals to not only access, acquire, create and consume media contents but also evaluate and effectively utilize the digital media for political participation. This study focuses on the role of digital media literacy in shaping political participation with an emphasis on the mediating role of information-seeking behavior among youth in Lahore, Pakistan. The study utilizes the theoretical framework of digital media literacy (DML) adopting a quantitative approach and collecting data from 401 respondents aged 18 to 29 years from different universities of Lahore through a structured questionnaire. Employing the purposive sampling technique, the study targets the students from media studies and political science departments examining how digital media literacy directly and indirectly shapes political participation through information-seeking behavior. The findings suggest a significant relationship among the three variables showing interdependencies among digital media literacy, information-seeking behavior and political participation. The study offers valuable insights for educationists, policy makers and media practitioners in Pakistan to promote digital media literacy and political participation through critical and informed use of digital platforms. Future research is recommended to explore the relationship in rural context including other mediating variables.