Las redes sociales y su incidencia en la construcción de identidad de género en los estudiantes de bachillerato del cantón Manta, años 2024-2025.

Abstract

This research addresses the impact that social media has on the construction of gender identity among high school students in the Manta canton in the year 2025, considering that these digital platforms have become fundamental spaces for interaction and the validation of cultural models among students. The general objective was to determine how social media influences this process, aiming to identify the most used platforms, the most predominant content, and the factors that influence the way adolescents construct their gender identity. The problem arises from the increasing exposure of adolescents to digital content that reinforces or challenges gender stereotypes, which can affect their beliefs, attitudes, and self-identification during a crucial stage of their development, to address this issue, a quantitative approach was employed, with a descriptive scope, non-experimental design, and cross-sectional type, supported by the deductive method. The sample consisted of 364 students from an approximate population of 7,000, and data was collected through a structured survey with a closed-ended questionnaire It was found that students most frequently use platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram, spending several hours a day on these platforms mainly for entertainment and communication purposes. It is concluded that social media significantly influences the construction of gender identity by promoting role models, enabling spaces for self-expression, and contributing to the formation of gender-related beliefs, attitudes, and roles during adolescence.