The Impact of New Media on the Dynamics of Changes in Public Consciousness

Abstract

Social networks have become one of the key channels for shaping public opinion, value orientations, and the public agenda. In platformised news consumption, editorial gatekeeping weakens, while algorithmic recommendations, influencer mediation, and synthetic content produced with generative artificial intelligence directly affect mechanisms of public perception. The aim of this article is to propose a conceptual model explaining the influence of new media on the dynamics of changes in public consciousness in Kazakhstan and to refine hypotheses and measurement indicators suitable for subsequent empirical testing. The study relies on desk research, comparative analysis, and the systematisation of international secondary data. Based on materials from DataReportal, the Reuters Institute, Pew Research Center, and UNESCO/MediaNet, four blocks of influence are identified: content sources, platform mediators, reception mechanisms, and outcomes in public consciousness. As a result, hypotheses H1–H6 and operational indicators are proposed for variables related to algorithmic dependence, exposure to emotional frames, news consumption through influencers, exposure to AI-synthetic content, media literacy, and AI literacy. The conclusion argues that under Kazakhstan’s high level of digital penetration, strengthening media literacy, fact-checking culture, and platform transparency is a key condition for protecting public consciousness from manipulative influence.