Keywords
political socialization
political attitudes
student youth
suggestibility
media literacy
conformity
parasocial interaction
digital media
social influence
political communication
critical thinking
How to Cite
Abstract
Background. Contemporary digital media have become one of the most influential agents of political socialization among young people. The rapid expansion of social media platforms, personalized recommendation algorithms, and influencer-driven communication environments has transformed traditional mechanisms of political persuasion and increased the significance of suggestive media influence. Understanding the psychological factors that determine susceptibility to political messages among student youth has therefore become an important scientific and practical challenge.
Objective. The study aims to identify and characterize the socio-psychological mechanisms through which media exert suggestive influence on the formation of political views among university students.
Methods. The research employed a mixed theoretical and empirical approach grounded in theories of social influence, political socialization, media effects, and digital communication psychology. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey involving students from Ukrainian higher education institutions. The psychodiagnostic battery included measures of achievement motivation, conformity, trust in media, tolerance for uncertainty, and parasocial interaction. Quantitative data were statistically analyzed to identify relationships between psychological variables associated with susceptibility to media influence.
Results. The findings reveal an ambivalent psychological profile of student youth. Participants demonstrated relatively low conformity, moderate achievement motivation, and a pronounced level of media skepticism, indicating resistance to traditional forms of political propaganda and institutional media influence. At the same time, increased vulnerability was observed regarding personalized and emotionally charged forms of communication mediated through influencers, bloggers, and opinion leaders. Significant associations were identified between intolerance of uncertainty, conformity tendencies, and parasocial involvement. The results suggest that emotional attachment to media personalities may bypass critical cognitive evaluation and increase susceptibility to political persuasion in digital environments.
Conclusions. Modern student youth cannot be regarded as passive recipients of political information; however, they remain vulnerable to new forms of personalized suggestive influence operating through digital media ecosystems. The most important predictors of susceptibility are intolerance of uncertainty and the tendency to establish parasocial relationships with media figures. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary mechanisms of political influence and may serve as a basis for developing educational programs aimed at strengthening media literacy, critical thinking, and psychological resilience to manipulative communication.
Keywords: media influence; political socialization; political attitudes; student youth; suggestibility; media literacy; conformity; parasocial interaction; digital media; social influence; political communication; critical thinking.
Received: 21 January 2026
Accepted: 20 March 2026
Published: 30 April 2026
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Copyright (c) 2026 Oleg Semeniuk, Daria Semeniuk