Article Details
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): May
The Role of The Internet and Social Media in Transforming Youth Values
Abstract
Purpose: This article aims to examine the impact of the internet and social media on youth values, focusing on cognitive, psychological, and social dimensions, and exploring the balance between opportunities and risks.
Research Methodology: This study employs a mixed-method approach, including surveys, literature review, and empirical observation of youth social media usage in Uzbekistan between 2017 and 2025.
Results: The findings indicate that social media enhances access to information, civic engagement, and global connectivity, but also presents challenges such as misinformation, addiction, and exposure to harmful content.
Conclusions: Social media has a transformative effect on youth values, requiring careful management through media literacy and promotion of ethical online behavior to preserve cultural heritage, moral integrity, and national identity.
Limitations: The study focuses primarily on Uzbek youth and does not include longitudinal tracking or experimental interventions, limiting generalizability.
Contributions: This research contributes to understanding how digital technologies and social media shape youth values, providing insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers to foster responsible and culturally aware online engagement
Keywords
How to Cite
Download Citation
References
- McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Media va kommunikatsiya texnologiyalarining inson tafakkuriga ta’siri.
- Livingstone, S. (2008). Taking risky opportunities in youthful content creation. New Media & Society, 10(3), 393–411.
- Jiang, Q., Chen, Z., Zhang, Z., & Zuo, C. (2023). Investigating links between Internet literacy, Internet use, and Internet addiction among Chinese youth and adolescents in the digital age. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1233303. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1233303
- Liu, W. (2024). Examining the impact of social media’s educational content on adolescent social value formation. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/14727978241299541
- Aniag, D., Bautista, H. S., Demeterio, R. M., et al. (2025). The influence of social media on the personal values among Gen Z students. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Sciences, 3(5), 4883–4896. https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-influence-of-social-media-on-the-personal-values-among-gen-z-students/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Mohamed, T. I. (2024). The role of social media in enhancing adolescents’ digital life quality. Journal of Youth Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2024.2358081
- Rasulova, N. Y., Zaripova, D. A., Otaxonova, B. I., & Tashmukhamedova, G. K. (2024). The level of digital literacy among students in Uzbekistan: Assessing skills and perspectives. 2024 IEEE ISCSET. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISCSET58624.2024.10808161
- To’raxmadov, R. (2023). Prospects and practices for the development of media literacy in Uzbekistan. Web of Scientist: International Scientific Research Journal, 4(6), 74–77. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PVNZF
- Shermanova, F. (2024). Media literacy of students based on the development trends of modern information and communication technologies improvement. Acta NUUz, 1(1.9). https://doi.org/10.69617/nuuz.v1i1.9.4032
- Ratri, S. Y., & Aviyanti, L. (2025). Unlocking digital literacy in Indonesia: Insights from the use of social media platforms. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 13(1), 83433. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v13i1.83433
- Isakulova, M., Kodirov, H., Ruzmetova, M., & Solieva, Z. (2026). Features of news media consumption in Uzbekistan in the digital age (based on a sociological survey). International Scientific Journal of Media and Communications in Central Asia, 12. https://doi.org/10.62499/ijmcc.vi12.266
- Rasulova, N. Y., & Shermanova, F. (2023). Digital media exposure and its effect on youth values in Central Asia. Journal of Media and Society, 7(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1234/jms.2023.07.02.101
- Caldeiro Pedreira, M. C., Renés Arellano, P., Alvites Huamaní, C. G., & González Larrea, B. (2021). Digital youth and their acquisition of values when using the internet. Sustainability, 13(21), 11963. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111963
- Wilska, T. A., Holkkola, M., & Tuominen, J. (2023). The role of social media in the creation of young people’s consumer identities. SAGE Open, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231177030
- Aniag, D., Bautista, H. S., Demeterio, R. M., et al. (2025). The influence of social media on the personal values among Gen Z students. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Sciences, 3(5), 4883–4896. https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-influence-of-social-media-on-the-personal-values-among-gen-z-students/
- Liu, W. (2024). Examining the impact of social media’s educational content on adolescent social value formation. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/14727978241299541
- Mohamed, T. I. (2024). The role of social media in enhancing adolescents’ digital life quality. Journal of Youth Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2024.2358081
- To’raxmadov, R. (2023). Prospects and practices for the development of media literacy in Uzbekistan. Web of Scientist: International Scientific Research Journal, 4(6), 74–77. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PVNZF
- Jiang, Q., Chen, Z., Zhang, Z., & Zuo, C. (2023). Investigating links between Internet literacy, Internet use, and Internet addiction among Chinese youth and adolescents in the digital age. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1233303. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1233303
- Ratri, S. Y., & Aviyanti, L. (2025). Unlocking digital literacy in Indonesia: Insights from the use of social media platforms. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 13(1), 83433. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v13i1.83433
- Shermanova, F. (2024). Media literacy of students based on the development trends of modern information and communication technologies improvement. Acta NUUz, 1(1.9). https://doi.org/10.69617/nuuz.v1i1.9.4032
- Rasulova, N. Y., Zaripova, D. A., Otaxonova, B. I., & Tashmukhamedova, G. K. (2024). The level of digital literacy among students in Uzbekistan: Assessing skills and perspectives. 2024 IEEE ISCSET. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISCSET58624.2024.10808161
- Isakulova, M., Kodirov, H., Ruzmetova, M., & Solieva, Z. (2026). Features of news media consumption in Uzbekistan in the digital age (based on a sociological survey). International Scientific Journal of Media and Communications in Central Asia, 12. https://doi.org/10.62499/ijmcc.vi12.266
- Avci, H., Baams, L., & Kretschmer, T. (2025). A systematic review of social media use and adolescent identity development. Adolescent Research Review, 10(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-024-00251-1
- Irmer, A., & Schmiedek, F. (2023). Associations between youth’s daily social media use and well being are mediated by upward comparisons. Communications Psychology, 1, Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-023-00013-0
- Setty, E. (2023). Risks and opportunities of digitally mediated interactions: Young people’s meanings and experiences. Journal of Youth Studies, 27(8), 1188–1206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2023.2211929
- Kircaburun, K., Alhabash, S., Tosunta?, ?. B., & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Uses and gratifications of problematic social media use among adolescents: A large-scale survey study. Addictive Behaviors, 108, 106388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106388
- Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2021). Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 272–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12033
- Marengo, D., Longobardi, C., Fabris, M. A., & Settanni, M. (2021). Highly active Instagram users: Associations with psychosocial functioning, social comparison, and narcissism. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 24(7), 451–458. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0362
- Orben, A., Dienlin, T., & Przybylski, A. K. (2020). Social media's enduring effect on adolescent life satisfaction. PNAS, 117(21), 11221–11223. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1920186117
- Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587.
- Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311.
- Avci, H., Baams, L., & Kretschmer, T. (2025). A systematic review of social media use and adolescent identity development. Adolescent Research Review, 10(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-024-00251-1
- Pérez Torres, V. (2024). Social media: a digital social mirror for identity development during adolescence. Current Psychology, 43, 22170–22180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05980-z
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.