FROM X (TWITTER) TO REALITY: A STUDY EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS AND OFFLINE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between online political engagement on X (formerly Twitter) and offline political participation in Pakistan, focusing on how dialogic interaction, Twitter use time, and network size influence institutional and extra-institutional forms of political activity. Employing a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 410 Twitter users in Pakistan, the research investigated the extent to which citizens use Twitter for political purposes and whether online engagement translates into offline political participation. The findings reveal that a majority of respondents (60.7%) use Twitter for political purposes, confirming the platform's significance as a contemporary public sphere for political discourse in Pakistan. Regression analysis demonstrated that dialogic interaction and Twitter use time were positively associated with both institutional and extra-institutional offline political participation, while Twitter network size was significantly related only to institutional participation. These findings provide empirical support for Cyber-democracy Theory and Public Sphere Theory, challenging critiques that dismiss online political engagement as superficial. The study contributes to understanding how social media facilitates democratic participation in developing democracies, with implications for policymakers, political parties, and civil society organizations seeking to leverage digital platforms for political mobilization and civic engagement.