The impact of the information and communication environment on the formation of negative attitudes

Abstract

Objective: to conduct a detailed empirical analytical reconstruction of the influence that the characteristics of the information and communication environment have on the formation and transformation of negative social attitudes in the population; to assess the role of media literacy, level of education, age, and gender as moderators of this influence. The study used a complex mixed research design featuring the following components: a quantitative component — a representative quasi-experimental survey (N = 2000) using validated scales to measure the level of negative attitudes, media consumption, and media literacy; a qualitative component — 12 focus groups for identifying the mechanisms of perception and interpretation of media content; an additional component — content analysis of a sample of media materials (social networks, news portals, video platforms). Quantitative data were analyzed using correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression with an assessment of moderation effects. A cross-sectional sample has shown a strong positive association between the volume of negative content consumption and the magnitude of negative social attitudes (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), with the effect being most pronounced in the 18–25 age group. ANOVA has revealed statistically significant differences in the levels of negative attitudes between age cohorts (F(4,1995) = 14.3, p < 0.01; η² ≈ 0.028). Multiple regression has demonstrated that media literacy and higher education act as protective factors, reducing the effect of the time spent consuming negative content (a decrease in standardized β by approximately 35% in subsamples with high media literacy). Qualitative data clarify that video content and comment threads increase emotional reactivity and contribute to the rapid polarization of opinions, while analytical texts reduce impulsive reactions. It is concluded that long-term exposure to negative media content is associated with increased negative social attitudes; media literacy and educational level weaken this influence. The data obtained substantiate the need for targeted programs aiming to improve media literacy and introduce platform practices reducing exposure to manipulative negative content.