Testing the bi-directional influence of media and identity: a longitudinal study of Muslim American adolescents

Abstract Guided by social identity gratification theory, this study examines the reciprocal relationship between media consumption and social identity among 220 ethnically and linguistically diverse Muslim American adolescents over three years. Using latent growth curve modeling, we found stronger evidence for media-to-identity influence, particularly in predicting within-person changes over time. Media consumption was significantly associated with identity centrality and private esteem but not public esteem, highlighting the multidimensionality of social identity. The impact of media also varied by genre and language: native-language entertainment media positively influenced identity centrality and private esteem, whereas English-language media showed distinct effects at the between- and within-subject levels. Additionally, increased time on social networking sites was linked to a decline in Muslim private esteem over time. These findings highlight the complex ways media consumption shapes the social identity development of marginalized youth in the United States.