Critical reflection in the online context: How do immigrant‐origin youth make meaning of their sociopolitical experiences and identities?
Journal of Research on Adolescence
Published online on April 15, 2026
Abstract
["Journal of Research on Adolescence, Volume 36, Issue 2, June 2026. ", "\nAbstract\nSocial media facilitates sociopolitical development; however, xenophobic sociopolitical climates engender acculturative stressors for immigrant‐origin (IO) youth's online experiences. Through interviews with N = 90 IO youth (Mage = 16.41; 74.44% female‐identifying; 33.33% Asian, 26.67% Latinx, 25.56% Black, 8.89% multi‐racial, 3.33% white, 2.22% Middle Eastern), we qualitatively identified two meta‐themes regarding youth's critical reflection catalyzed by online content: identity‐related processes for their role in society relative to others' lived experiences; meaning‐making of sociopolitical issues through online socialization experiences. Youth's reflective processes were closely linked with their emotions. Affirming sociopolitical messages fostered emotions like care and inspiration; exclusionary and anti‐democratic messages sparked frustration and anger. Findings demonstrate how online experiences shape interconnected sociopolitical processes of and emotional responses to critical reflection and identity development for IO youth.\n"]