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This study examines social media as a political predictor of polarization among youth in a developing country like India, where social media as platforms for digital media are becoming inevitable to political discourse. The recent advent of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, has exposed the youth of today to a variety of political ideologies, discussions, and perspectives, that play a large part in shaping how they view politics and how they get involved in it. In the recent years social media has been hailed as productive openness that allows youth to take part in political processes but it has also been criticized as the factor deepening political divides which leads to creating polarizing echo chambers. The current study intends to address the role of social media in encouraging youth political polarization examining both the positive and negative impact of digital political engagement with special reference to India. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and focus group discussions. This survey tracks a demographic of youth between the ages of 18-30 from urban and rural environments across a spectrum of educational and socio-economic backgrounds. The research…Research data patterns of social media usage, political views, political engagement, and impact of digital platforms on political identity. Qualitative interviews additionally delve into youth experiences of online political discussions and how algorithmic content curation informs their belief systems. The results show social media can help intensify the bifurcation and polarization of politics since youth tend to self-select and seek out information that aligns with their prior beliefs, further exacerbating the issue of partisan divides. It shows how echo chambers are common, in that people consume content that mostly reinforces their view while they rarely, if ever, see anything else. Simultaneously, the study also emphasizes social media as a space to participate in politics by voicing dissent, organizing support for political issues and activism among youth. Quoting directly the study itself, it demonstrates: "social media both encourages political participation, by allowing supporters of democratic change, as well as autocratic rule, to mobilize public support, it also divides the public along partisan lines." It adds to the growing body of research examining social media and its impact on politics, especially in the context of the social media landscape of a developing country like India where a large part of the population are netizens and youth actively use social media. The paper ends with recommendations for policymakers and educators to prioritize digital literacy, media transparency, and critical thinking skills among youth to stave off echo chambers and mitigate the adverse impacts of political polarization. In the end, this study argues for a broader perspective on social media and its function in driving democratic participation, but at the same time the ability to deepen division.