Understanding the Effects of Digital Media on Identity and Cohesion Among Spanish Adolescents

Authors: Josep García-Coll – Researcher at the Department of Heterogeneity and Education - Freie Universität Berlin Gülru Horozoğlu - Researcher at the Department of Heterogeneity and Education - Freie Universität Berlin Malgorzata Kossowska – University Professor at the Department of Psychology – Jagiellonian University in Krakow Esther Cuadrado – University Professor at the Department of Psychology – Universidad de Córdoba Ursula Kessels - University Professor at the Department of Heterogeneity and Education - Freie Universität Berlin The rise of digital media has transformed social interactions, fostering new avenues for communication while contributing to societal fragmentation. Social media platforms often amplify disinformation, entrench biases, and facilitate the formation of micro-identities, that is, narrow and emergent group affiliations characterized by distinct epistemic frameworks, strong internal cohesion, and a belief in the group's unique access to truth or experience (Kossowska et al., 2023). Adolescents, who are at a critical stage of development, are particularly vulnerable to these dynamics in digital environments. This experimental study was carried out with a sample of around 500 Spanish high school students aged 16 to 18, who were randomly assigned to social media posts stemming from groups with different political agendas. Interaction with these posts, perception of the groups, and psychological needs were measured. Results will explore how unmet psychological needs relate to adolescents’ responses to polarized online content. The findings aim to offer practical strategies to strengthen social resilience and support democratic cohesion in increasingly digitalized societies.