The Role of Digital Media in Enhancing University Students' Awareness of the Risks of Irregular Migration A Field Study on a Sample of Students at the Faculty of Media, University of Benghazi

Abstract

Contemporary societies are witnessing an unprecedented communication revolution, making digital media a primary tool in shaping university students' awareness, especially regarding critical social issues such as irregular migration, which represents an economic, security, and cultural challenge for countries, and this study aims to explore the role of digital media in enhancing the awareness of students at the Faculty of Media, University of Benghazi, about the risks of irregular migration, by identifying the most used and influential platforms, analyzing the positive and negative dimensions of digital discourse, reviewing communication methods, the nature of media messages, and measuring their reflections on national identity.

The study relied on the descriptive-analytical approach, and collected data from a random sample of 256 students, using a comprehensive questionnaire including questions about digital platforms, message content, communication methods, the level of awareness of irregular migration, and the reflections of digital media on national identity.

The results showed that the majority of students were male and relied heavily on digital media. The results indicated that Facebook is the most influential platform, followed by YouTube and Twitter/X. The study confirmed that digital media contributed to increasing knowledge about the risks of migration, expanding understanding of the economic and social impacts, and creating spaces for group discussion, while the results also indicated that digital media discourse contains strong positive dimensions, employing various methods such as texts, images, videos, and warning messages, along with humanitarian, guidance, and legal messages that support awareness, while misleading messages had less impact, and the study also confirmed that digital media enhances students' sense of belonging and national identity.

In light of these results, the study recommends enhancing the use of digital media in youth awareness through interactive and accurate content, intensifying humanitarian and guidance messages, encouraging group discussion and community participation, integrating these initiatives into educational programs, and launching joint national digital campaigns to strengthen national identity and instill responsible youth awareness regarding migration and its risks.