Young Afghans Online: Digital Participation and Media Literacy

AYP Committee Brief 2026/06 · Committee on Civic Learning & Youth Participation

Desk-research brief · Published November 2026
Afghanistan Youth Parliament (AYP) – Think Tank Center

About this brief: a desk-research brief prepared by the AYP Think Tank Center for the Committee on Civic Learning & Youth Participation. It rests only on published sources and is not a record of any meeting or committee decision. Review: internal desk review, November 2026 · Funding: none · Partners: none · Data: published secondary sources · Corrections: none to date. Not peer-reviewed.

Summary

For many young Afghans, the phone is now the main window onto public life: news, learning, work, family abroad and conversation with peers. That window is narrow, expensive and sometimes closed. It also lets in rumours, manipulated images and hostile speech. Digital participation that is safe, informed and respectful does not happen by itself; it is learned. AYP can help young people build the skills to find reliable information, protect themselves and take part in constructive discussion, while being honest about the limits.

About 11.3 million people in Afghanistan used the internet in October 2025, roughly a quarter of the population (25.5%). There were about 5 million social media user identities, equal to 11.3% of the population, and about 22.4 million cellular mobile connections at the end of 2025 (DataReportal, 2025). Survey-based measures give lower figures: a REACH overview cites internet access of under 18% in 2023 and adult literacy of 37% in 2021 (REACH, 2025). Counting connections is not the same as counting people, and both kinds of figure are useful.

Key facts

A connected minority: about one in four people uses the internet, and about one in nine has a social media identity (DataReportal, 2025).
Literacy limits reach: adult literacy was about 37% in 2021 (REACH, 2025). Audio, video and simple language reach more people than long text.
Connectivity can be cut: a nationwide shutdown of about 48 hours began on 29 September 2025. UN human rights experts said such restrictions impede freedom of expression and access to information, cut people off from relatives abroad who send remittances, harm the economy and fall hardest on women and girls (UN human rights experts, 2025).
A smaller media landscape: about 543 media outlets operated before August 2021; by November 2021, 43% had closed. More than 84% of women media workers reportedly lost their jobs soon afterwards (UNAMA, 2024). UNAMA also documented 336 journalists and media workers affected by arrest, ill-treatment or threats between August 2021 and September 2024; the de facto authorities rejected the report’s findings (UNAMA, 2024).
What helps against misinformation: a rapid evidence assessment by researchers at the London School of Economics found support for media literacy approaches that prompt conscious, logic-driven engagement with content and build critical thinking. It also found that most research comes from high-income countries and called for more studies in the global majority (Anstead et al., 2025).

What it means for young people

When fewer independent sources are available, young people rely more on social media, messaging groups and word of mouth. These channels are fast and personal, but they also spread rumours, out-of-context videos and content designed to provoke. A young person who cannot check a claim is easier to mislead, whether about a job offer, a scholarship, a health remedy or a political event.

Participation also carries personal risk. Posts, photos and group memberships can expose young people and their families. Safe participation therefore starts with simple habits: strong passwords, two-step verification, careful privacy settings, and thinking twice before sharing faces, locations or names.

Finally, participation is not only about consuming information. Young people want to discuss their community’s problems and propose solutions. Online discussion can either deepen divisions or build understanding across language, region and background. The difference often lies in a few shared rules and in moderators who apply them fairly.

Practical options for AYP and partners

Offer short media and information literacy lessons. Practical lessons on checking the source, reading laterally (opening other sources before believing one), checking dates and images, and recognising emotional manipulation reflect the approaches that the evidence supports. Lessons should be short, available in Farsi-e-Dari and Pashto, and usable offline.
Teach digital safety as part of civic learning. Account security, privacy settings, safe handling of personal documents and awareness of scams belong in every civic course. AYP already offers digital safety content that can be linked.
Practise constructive discussion. AYP can publish simple discussion rules for its groups: no insults, no hate speech, no sharing of others’ personal data, and arguments supported by sources. Trained moderators can apply them consistently.
Model careful publishing. AYP’s own media work follows its Editorial Standards: two-person review, fact-checking, consent and corrections. Showing these steps openly is itself a form of civic education.
Plan for disconnection. Courses and key guidance should be downloadable in advance and shareable by phone, so that learning continues when connectivity is cut.
Measure what changes. Short before-and-after exercises, such as spotting a manipulated image or an unsupported claim, can show whether lessons work.

Next steps and questions for discussion

The Committee’s work on digital participation can start with a few practical questions:

Which sources do young Afghans inside and outside the country trust most for news and practical information, and why? An anonymous module in the AYP youth survey could ask this, with results reported only for respondents.
Which kinds of false or misleading content cause the most harm to young people: fake job and scholarship offers, health rumours, manipulated images or hostile content aimed at particular groups? Knowing this helps target lessons.
Which media literacy exercises work best in Farsi-e-Dari and Pashto, and do they work as well in audio as in text? AYP can test short lessons and measure results with simple before-and-after exercises.
How can young women take part in online discussion safely, given the risks of harassment and exposure? Women-only spaces with women moderators may be one answer; AYP can learn from participants what helps.
What rules for discussion feel fair to young people from different regions and language groups? AYP can draft rules openly, invite comment and revise them.

There is also a wider point. Media literacy is not only a defence against falsehood; it is a civic skill. A young person who can check a claim, weigh sources and disagree without insult is better prepared to take part in any community, in Afghanistan or abroad. That is why AYP treats media and information literacy as part of civic learning rather than as a technical subject. Any data collection will follow the Research Standards: voluntary participation, a do-no-harm check and aggregate reporting.

Limitations

Data on internet use differ by method, and recent survey data on media use inside Afghanistan are scarce. The evidence on media literacy comes mostly from other countries. This brief does not evaluate specific platforms or outlets.

References

Anstead, N., Edwards, L., Livingstone, S. and Stoilova, M. (2025). The potential for media literacy to combat misinformation: results of a rapid evidence assessment. International Journal of Communication (LSE Research Online). researchonline.lse.ac.uk
DataReportal – Kemp, S. (2025). Digital 2026: Afghanistan. Kepios, 8 November 2025. datareportal.com
REACH (2025). Afghanistan Climate Change Overview, September 2025. IMPACT Initiatives (literacy and internet access figures). repository.impact-initiatives.org
UNAMA (2024). Media Freedom in Afghanistan. UNAMA Human Rights Service, November 2024. unama.unmissions.org
UN human rights experts (2025). Statement on internet and social media restrictions in Afghanistan, 10 October 2025, as reported by The National. thenationalnews.com

Afghanistan Youth Parliament (AYP) – Think Tank Center
AYP Committee Brief 2026/06 – November 2026
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