Media Consumption of Youth in the Border Regions of Kazakhstan and Its Impact on National Identity

Abstract

National identity of youth is an important part of social identity in general and is formed at the intersection of personal and public factors. The nature and structure of youth media consumption in the border regions differs from the situation in the central and remote regions of the countries. In such regions, the content of local media can be directly or indirectly linked to neighboring states, which contributes to the emergence of cultural and information transformations. This is especially acute in the context of geopolitical and cultural changes, such as armed conflicts, migration flows and other global processes. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, this article examines the goals, strategies and methods of foreign propaganda using the example of Russian case. Through a survey of 565 young individuals from the North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and Pavlodar regions, this research examines how does media consumption in border regions affect youth perception of their national identity and political views. The survey results indicate that a significant portion of respondents engage with Russian media and social networks, with 27% trusting foreign news sources. The study also highlights a potential crisis of identity, as reflected in the respondents' ambiguous political views on sensitive issues.