The Role of Digital Media Platforms in Fulfilling Climate Change Related Information Needs of University Students in Sindh province, Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is ranked high among the countries that are tremendously susceptible to the consequences of climate change. Similar to several other developing countries, Pakistan has faced several climate induced disasters during the past two decades. In these circumstances, young generation has played a historic role in generating positive climate action in a number of developing countries. Therefore, this research explores the usefulness of online media platforms in communicating climate change information to young generation in Sindh province, Pakistan. The paper is based  on the  perspective of  university students of Sindh province concerning the role of digital media platforms in fulfilling their climate change related information needs in comparison to other sources, hurdles in climate change communication and the contribution of online media  in social construction of climate change problem in Sindh province, Pakistan. The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey from a sample comprised of the students of social sciences faculties of six public sector universities in Sindh. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS software to answer the study objectives. The findings of the study signify that digital media platforms are contributing positively to communicating climate change to students in Sindh province, Pakistan. A greater part of the respondents considered digital media an effective tool for providing climate change information to the new generation. However, the findings also point out that the excessive use of scientific terminology makes climate change information less comprehensible to the students