Sacred Spaces, Digital Grid: How Madrassa Students Navigate Smartphones in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The intersection of digital Media Technologies and Madrassa students in the context of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is traditionally viewed through restrictive and top-down institutional frameworks.  The blend of religious education and the encroachment of smartphones in such settings are creating a dynamic shift, influencing their educational, and social experiences. This research paper investigates the pattern and purpose of smartphone usage among the madrassa students, including the type of media accessibility and engagement. Utilizing the Uses and Gratification theory, a survey of 540 male students, selected through multistage stratified cluster from around 12 Madrassas, in three districts of Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Karak. Further, the data analysed through SPSS 16, results allow to bypass the reductive assumptions, treating young students as passive subjects vulnerable to external digital disruptions, but are agentic beings leverage smartphones to fulfill specific psychological, social and structural need. Asking for further deep dive into comparative studies and women usage pattern in ‘Madaris’.