The Role of Media in Building Cultural and Social Identity Among University Youth 136 32

Abstract

This study seeks to examine the role of the media in building the cultural and social identity of university youth and its contribution to changing their social and political values. It also investigates the extent to which the media has been able to influence the values of university students, leading to the emergence of new identities within the university environment. The research problem is addressed through the following questions: What is the role of the media in building the cultural and social identity of university youth? Are there statistically significant differences in the influence of the media on building the cultural and social identity of university youth according to gender? Are there statistically significant differences according to the university variable? The study aims to identify the role of the media in building the cultural and social identity of university youth and to examine the impact of the media on identity formation according to the variables of gender and university.

The study adopted the descriptive approach using the survey method. A questionnaire was employed as the study instrument to examine the role of the media in building the cultural and social identity of university youth. The study sample consisted of students from the University of Tripoli and Al-Asmariya Islamic University in Zliten, representing various faculties. The findings revealed that the most significant roles played by the media in shaping the identity of university youth include promoting cultural openness to the world, fostering social and humanitarian values, helping students find solutions to their problems, and enhancing their understanding of local and international crises. However, the media has also contributed to increasing their social isolation, creating a wide gap in their family relationships, and contributing to the deterioration of public taste and the loss of customs and traditions.The results further indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female students, which may be attributed to the homogeneity of the study population. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found between students at the University of Tripoli and those at Al-Asmariya Islamic University with respect to the university variable.