Assessment of the Effectiveness of Social Media in Shaping the Perception of the Public on National Security Matters in Pakistan: A Securitization Theory Perspective

Abstract

Social media has evolved a lot and at the same time, it offers an opportunity to make statements on strategic communication platforms to reach billions of people within the shortest time. This study aims to determine the role of social media in constructing people’s perceptions of national security issues in Pakistan based on securitization theory. Securitization theory provides a way of analyzing how political issues are put in a category of existential threats by discourses that require exceptional measures. This paper highlights the importance of social media as a securitizing actor to produce and circulate narratives that inform the opinion of the public and policymakers. Social media plays an important role in the securitization process proved by examination of the framing techniques, audience acceptance as well as the media-state interaction. Social media also has issues related to the presence of misleading information and its consequences for national security policy. Future perspectives focus on the opportunities provided by the development of superior technologies like artificial intelligence and predictive analytics for improved analysis of securitization processes on social media. There is a need to establish better communication, media control, and public participation in constructing positive security discourses.

Keywords: Public Perception, Securitization Theory, Social Media, National Security