The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan

With the increasing influence of social media on identity formation, especially among youth, understanding its impact on psychosocial development is essential. This study investigated how social media mediates gender identity and psychosocial values among 437 youths (mean age = 21.9), comprising 27....

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Main Authors: Tusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt, Aliya Saktaganovna Mambetalina, Nuradinov Almat Sabitovich, Kehinde Clement Lawrence, Snezhana Evlogieva Ilieva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2525999
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author Tusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt
Aliya Saktaganovna Mambetalina
Nuradinov Almat Sabitovich
Kehinde Clement Lawrence
Snezhana Evlogieva Ilieva
author_facet Tusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt
Aliya Saktaganovna Mambetalina
Nuradinov Almat Sabitovich
Kehinde Clement Lawrence
Snezhana Evlogieva Ilieva
author_sort Tusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt
collection DOAJ
description With the increasing influence of social media on identity formation, especially among youth, understanding its impact on psychosocial development is essential. This study investigated how social media mediates gender identity and psychosocial values among 437 youths (mean age = 21.9), comprising 27.1% males, 69.4% females, 2.9% non-binary/others, and 0.6% undisclosed. Participants completed a Likert-scale questionnaire, and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22 and AMOS 26.0. Structural equation modeling supported the study’s hypotheses, with four fit indices rated as good and one as fair. Although some indices (chi-square, significance probability, RMSEA) did not meet ideal benchmarks, the overall model fit was acceptable. All psychosocial variables; peer influence, self-esteem, social anxiety, and social support; were positively and significantly associated with gender identity. Peer influence emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by social media use, self-esteem, and social support. Social media also showed a significant moderating effect, enhancing the influence of these psychosocial variables on gender identity. These findings suggest that social media plays a powerful role in shaping gender identity, either amplifying or moderating other influences. The study calls for attention from educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers, and recommends further research using longitudinal and culturally diverse data.
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spelling doaj-art-68d269d20c5746a3a59fc021f261b02a2025-08-20T02:38:48ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862025-12-0111110.1080/23311886.2025.2525999The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of KazakhstanTusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt0Aliya Saktaganovna Mambetalina1Nuradinov Almat Sabitovich2Kehinde Clement Lawrence3Snezhana Evlogieva Ilieva4Department of psychology, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University Astana, Astana, KazakhstanDepartment of psychology, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University Astana, Astana, KazakhstanDepartment of psychology, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University Astana, Astana, KazakhstanFaculty of Education, Walter Sisulu University, Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South AfricaDepartment of Occupational and Social Psychology, Sofia University named after Kliment Ohridski, Sofia, BulgariaWith the increasing influence of social media on identity formation, especially among youth, understanding its impact on psychosocial development is essential. This study investigated how social media mediates gender identity and psychosocial values among 437 youths (mean age = 21.9), comprising 27.1% males, 69.4% females, 2.9% non-binary/others, and 0.6% undisclosed. Participants completed a Likert-scale questionnaire, and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22 and AMOS 26.0. Structural equation modeling supported the study’s hypotheses, with four fit indices rated as good and one as fair. Although some indices (chi-square, significance probability, RMSEA) did not meet ideal benchmarks, the overall model fit was acceptable. All psychosocial variables; peer influence, self-esteem, social anxiety, and social support; were positively and significantly associated with gender identity. Peer influence emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by social media use, self-esteem, and social support. Social media also showed a significant moderating effect, enhancing the influence of these psychosocial variables on gender identity. These findings suggest that social media plays a powerful role in shaping gender identity, either amplifying or moderating other influences. The study calls for attention from educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers, and recommends further research using longitudinal and culturally diverse data.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2525999Gender identityself-esteemsocial anxietysocial mediasocial supportpeer influence
spellingShingle Tusupbekova Serikovna Bakhyt
Aliya Saktaganovna Mambetalina
Nuradinov Almat Sabitovich
Kehinde Clement Lawrence
Snezhana Evlogieva Ilieva
The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
Cogent Social Sciences
Gender identity
self-esteem
social anxiety
social media
social support
peer influence
title The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
title_full The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
title_fullStr The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
title_full_unstemmed The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
title_short The influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of Kazakhstan
title_sort influence of social media on mediating gender identity and psychosocial values in the student population of kazakhstan
topic Gender identity
self-esteem
social anxiety
social media
social support
peer influence
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2025.2525999
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