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Abstract
This study investigates how social media engagement influences national identity formation in Taiwan, focusing on three mechanisms: usage intensity, trust in political content, and perceived exposure to echo chambers. Drawing on survey data from the Taiwan Institute for Governance and Communication Research (2018–2022), it employs ordinal logistic regression to test whether and how digital engagement correlates with stronger identification as Taiwanese. Contrary to conventional assumptions, results show that the intensity of social media use has limited predictive power. Instead, trust in political content emerges as the most consistent and robust predictor of exclusive Taiwanese identity. While exposure to ideologically similar content shows modest effects, it does not account for much variation in identity outcomes. These findings suggest that digital trust, not mere exposure or ideological homogeneity, is the critical filter through which identity narratives take hold. Trust not only facilitates message acceptance but also intensifies emotional resonance, making political content more impactful when users perceive it as credible and socially endorsed. The study further reveals platform-level variation, with LINE and Instagram users reporting both higher political trust and stronger Taiwanese identification than users of forums or YouTube. Overall, this research reframes the conversation on social media and nationalism by emphasizing affective trust and platform-mediated engagement over simple exposure or algorithmic isolation.