The Role of AI-Driven Social Media Narratives in Shaping Public Support for EU Integration in North Macedonia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22183107 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zamir Dika (South East European University), Demush Bajrami (0000-0002-4742-4447, South East European University), Arburim Iseni (0000-0002-8980-0682, State University of Tetova), Afrim Aliti (0009-0000-7092-4717, South East European University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 112 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-22 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2545-420X • E-ISSN: 2545-420X |
| Publisher | Association-Institute for English Language and American Studies, Tetovo (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.58885/ijssh.v11i1.112.zd |
| OpenAlex | W7155092923 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 3 |
This study investigates the public perception of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its algorithmic influence on the European Union (EU) integration debate in North Macedonia. Given the need for fulfilling important geopolitical obligations, such as the mandatory constitutional reform, North Macedonia finds itself at a crucial point where the organic public sphere transitions into an AI-driven one. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational survey approach (N=357), the current research explores the level of computational propaganda recognition among citizens and the impact on their geopolitical attitudes. The findings reveal that North Macedonia is home to a population that is highly aware of the online space and that everyone in the sample perceives the manipulative nature of algorithms and the deliberate dissemination of Eurosceptic content. Additionally, there is a clear pattern of stratification by ethnicity in terms of the so-called "trust gap", where Macedonians show higher levels of digital cynicism than their ethnic counterparts because of the targeted manipulation of identity-related content. Most importantly, this research uncovers a striking phenomenon of "Digital Resilience" where both Albanians and Macedonians exhibit overwhelmingly high personal commitment to EU integration despite recognizing the polarized and manipulated digital space
Cynicism · Ethnic group · European union · Geopolitics · Narrative · Perception · Phenomenon · Population · Social media · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Social Media and Politics
| Highly cited | No |
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