Influences of Social Media Usages on Attitude Toward and Knowledge About the LGBT+ Community

Social media significantly influences how the public perceives gender diversity and LGBT+ rights. In Vietnam, while societal views are gradually shifting, discrimination against the LGBT+ community remains. This study explored the relationship between social media habits and the attitudes and knowledge of healthcare students toward LGBT+ individuals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students at Hanoi Medical University from November 2023 to January 2024, using validated Vietnamese versions of the ATLG-S, GTS-R-SF, and KAHQ questionnaires. Multivariate linear regressions were fitted to investigate the influences of social media/video streaming platforms usage behaviors. Of the 646 valid respondents, 97.8% reported using at least one social media or video streaming platform, though 89.8% reported that LGBT+ content made up less than 40% of what they encountered online. Most students showed low levels of homonegativity (6.0%) and genderism (8.0%), yet 85.1% had only low to moderate knowledge of LGBT+ topics. Social media users demonstrated more positive attitudes than non-users, and platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix were associated with higher knowledge levels. Multivariate analyses indicate that respondents who use Instagram Reels have lower GTS-R-SF scores (β = -1.91; 95% CI: -3.58 to -0.24). Respondents who use Netflix have higher KAH scores than those who do not (β = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.95). ATLG-S scores are lower in respondents who spend more than 2 h per day using social media (β = -1.02; 95% CI: -2.01 to -0.04). The more exposure to LGBT+ content on social media/video streaming platforms, the more positive the attitude toward and knowledge about the LGBT+ community. The findings highlight social media's potential to foster inclusive perspectives among future healthcare providers, emphasizing the need for effective content moderation to enhance its positive influence and reduce the spread of harmful stereotypes.