Exploring the Impact of Infotainment Programs on the Political Socialization of Youth

Abstract

This study examines impact of infotainment programs on young people's political socialization in terms of political awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. In the context of digital media, infotainment is a potent source of political news because it caters to a younger audience and attempts to amuse its patrons while offering a certain amount of political insight. The research aims to understand youth political participation, ideology, and voting, as well as how they use infotainment to disseminate political news while identifying its effects on political cynicism and polarization. Using quantitative methods, the study questions a representative sample of young people aged 18-30 from megacities in Pakistan focusing on their media attitudes, how they consume media, and their general political attitude. Under the theoretical realm of Agenda setting theory and Cultivation theory this study seeks to explain how subjects of infotainment shift political priorities and attention. The results indicate that although students are clearly interested in and involved in politics, concerns about political disinformation and the polarization of public discourse still exist. Social media is also taken into account in this study as a vital tool for increasing the reach of infotainment and the equally significant factor of information education vs young information manipulation. In order to achieve a more substantial balance, this research provides a set of proposals that seek to improve media impact through education.

Keywords:: Infotainment, political socialization, youth, political awareness, social media, political engagement, media literacy, polarization, voting behavior.