Language Choice on Social Media, Cultural Belonging, and Communicative Affective Well-Being: A Proposed Multilevel Dual-Path Conceptual Framework
Downloads
Objective: This conceptual article examines how episode-specific appraisals of language choice on social media may be associated with communicative affective well-being through hypothesized recognition-belonging and judgment-regulation pathways. No empirical relationships, effect sizes, or causal effects are estimated.
Methods and Materials: A critical integrative conceptual synthesis was conducted across digital sociolinguistics, cultural psychology, social identity theory, communication accommodation, self-determination theory, belongingness, self-discrepancy, dynamic digital well-being, platform-affordance, and Kazakhstan-focused scholarship. Sources identified through targeted searches conducted between 2 July and 23 August 2026 were supplemented by backward and forward citation chaining. The synthesis was purposive rather than systematic or meta-analytic. Constructs were differentiated, mapped onto interaction, person/community, and platform/institution levels, and translated into provisional, falsifiable propositions.
Findings: The synthesis produced a proposed Digital Language–Belonging–Well-Being framework rather than empirical findings. The positive pathway hypothesizes that digital linguistic congruence, including expressive fit and identity fit, is associated with momentary cultural recognition, a momentary belonging signal, and higher communicative affective well-being. The negative pathway hypothesizes that linguistic incongruence is associated with anticipated linguistic judgment, self-monitoring, linguistic self-censorship, momentary identity tension, and lower communicative affective well-being. Six auxiliary propositions specify language agency, code-switching voluntariness, audience conditions, platform-language support, and institutional hierarchy as boundary conditions.
Conclusion: The proposed DLBW framework integrates established theories into a linguistically explicit, multilevel research agenda. Its contribution is conceptual and testable; it should not be interpreted as evidence that the proposed mechanisms have been established.
Downloads
Akynova, D., Zharkynbekova, S., Agmanova, A., Aimoldina, A., & Dalbergenova, L. (2014). Language choice among the youth of Kazakhstan: English as a self-representation of prestige. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 143, 228-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.07.393
Androutsopoulos, J. (2014). Languaging when contexts collapse: Audience design in social networking. Discourse, Context & Media, 4-5, 62-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2014.08.006
Androutsopoulos, J. (2015). Networked multilingualism: Some language practices on Facebook and their implications. International Journal of Bilingualism, 19(2), 185-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006913489198
Barton, D., & Lee, C. (2013). Language online: Investigating digital texts and practices. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003265276
Batyrkhanova, A., Sakhariyanov, A., Yerzhanov, Y., Aripzhanova, U., & Malik, G. (2026). Algorithmic mood management and somatic digital fatigue among Kazakhstani university students. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 13(7), Article e2026-1573. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i7.1573
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Benet-Martínez, V., & Haritatos, J. (2005). Bicultural identity integration: Components and psychosocial antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73(4), 1015-1050. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x
Blodgett, S. L., Barocas, S., Daumé III, H., & Wallach, H. (2020). Language (technology) is power: A critical survey of 'bias' in NLP. In Proceedings of the 58th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (pp. 5454-5476). Association for Computational Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2020.acl-main.485
Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, Article 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149
Branscombe, N. R., Schmitt, M. T., & Harvey, R. D. (1999). Perceiving pervasive discrimination among African Americans: Implications for group identification and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(1), 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.1.135
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse Studies, 7(4-5), 585-614. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445605054407
Cable, D. M., & DeRue, D. S. (2002). The convergent and discriminant validity of subjective fit perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(5), 875-884. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.5.875
Cru, J. (2015). Language revitalisation from the ground up: Promoting Yucatec Maya on Facebook. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 36(3), 284-296. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2014.921184
Cunliffe, D., Morris, D., & Prys, C. (2013). Young bilinguals' language behaviour in social networking sites: The use of Welsh on Facebook. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 18(3), 339-361. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12010
Curran, P. J., & Bauer, D. J. (2011). The disaggregation of within-person and between-person effects in longitudinal models of change. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 583-619. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100356
Dave, B. (2007). Kazakhstan: Ethnicity, language and power. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Kazakhstan---Ethnicity-Language-and-Power/Dave/p/book/9780203014899
Davis, J. L., & Jurgenson, N. (2014). Context collapse: Theorizing context collusions and collisions. Information, Communication & Society, 17(4), 476-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2014.888458
De Gregorio, G., & Stremlau, N. (2023). Inequalities and content moderation. Global Policy, 14(5), 870-879. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13243
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Dewaele, J.-M., & Li, W. (2014). Intra- and inter-individual variation in self-reported code-switching patterns of adult multilinguals. International Journal of Multilingualism, 11(2), 225-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2013.878347
Dewaele, J.-M., & Nakano, S. (2013). Multilinguals' perceptions of feeling different when switching languages. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34(2), 107-120. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2012.712133
Downie, M., Koestner, R., ElGeledi, S., & Cree, K. (2004). The impact of cultural internalization and integration on well-being among tricultural individuals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(3), 305-314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167203261298
Evans, S. K., Pearce, K. E., Vitak, J., & Treem, J. W. (2017). Explicating affordances: A conceptual framework for understanding affordances in communication research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 22(1), 35-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12180
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137385765
Gilbert, A., Baumgartner, S. E., & Reinecke, L. (2023). Situational boundary conditions of digital stress: Goal conflict and autonomy frustration make smartphone use more stressful. Mobile Media & Communication, 11(3), 435-458. https://doi.org/10.1177/20501579221138017
Giles, H., Bourhis, R. Y., & Taylor, D. M. (1977). Towards a theory of language in ethnic group relations. In H. Giles (Ed.), Language, ethnicity and intergroup relations (pp. 307-348). Academic Press. https://icrml.ca/en/research-and-publications/references/item/81151-towards-a-theory-of-language-in-ethnic-group-relations
Giles, H., Coupland, N., & Coupland, J. (1991). Accommodation theory: Communication, context, and consequence. In H. Giles, J. Coupland, & N. Coupland (Eds.), Contexts of accommodation: Developments in applied sociolinguistics (pp. 1-68). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511663673.001
Hamaker, E. L., Kuiper, R. M., & Grasman, R. P. P. P. (2015). A critique of the cross-lagged panel model. Psychological Methods, 20(1), 102-116. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038889
Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319-340. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.94.3.319
Jaakkola, E. (2020). Designing conceptual articles: Four approaches. AMS Review, 10, 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0
Jabareen, Y. (2009). Building a conceptual framework: Philosophy, definitions, and procedure. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(4), 49-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690900800406
Jarlhøj, M. E., & Valijärvi, R.-L. (2024). Changing language policies and ideologies in Kazakhstan: An interview-based study. SN Social Sciences, 4, Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00829-5
Joshi, P., Santy, S., Budhiraja, A., Bali, K., & Choudhury, M. (2020). The state and fate of linguistic diversity and inclusion in the NLP world. In Proceedings of the 58th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (pp. 6282-6293). Association for Computational Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2020.acl-main.560
Kamalova, A. (2025). Speak Kazakh: Language ideologies in Kazakhstan's social media in times of Russian-Ukrainian war. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 29(3), 182-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/josl.12699
Kambatyrova, A. (2024). Parents' language ideologies in the context of trilingual education policy in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Multilingualism, 21(3), 1201-1217. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2022.2153850
Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 283-357. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38006-9
Khamit, A., Smagambet, B., Tabyldieva, O., Arashova, N., & Tolepbergenova, A. (2025). Language attitudes of Kazakh youth: An analysis of the regional aspect. European Journal of Language Policy, 17(2), 307-331. https://doi.org/10.3828/ejlp.2025.16
Koenecke, A., Nam, A., Lake, E., Nudell, J., Quartey, M., Mengesha, Z., Toups, C., Rickford, J. R., Jurafsky, D., & Goel, S. (2020). Racial disparities in automated speech recognition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(14), 7684-7689. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915768117
Koven, M. E. J. (1998). Two languages in the self/the self in two languages: French-Portuguese bilinguals' verbal enactments and experiences of self in narrative discourse. Ethos, 26(4), 410-455. https://doi.org/10.1525/eth.1998.26.4.410
Kucherbayeva, D., & Smagulova, J. (2023). Language revitalization: Challenges for Kazakh in higher education. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 14(2), 166-178. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665231189326
Kudaibergenova, D. T. (2019). The body global and the body traditional: A digital ethnography of Instagram and nationalism in Kazakhstan and Russia. Central Asian Survey, 38(3), 363-380. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2019.1650718
Leary, M. R., Tambor, E. S., Terdal, S. K., & Downs, D. L. (1995). Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor: The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(3), 518-530. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.3.518
Lee, C. K. M., & Barton, D. (2011). Constructing glocal identities through multilingual writing practices on Flickr.com. International Multilingual Research Journal, 5(1), 39-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2011.541331
Leppänen, S., Pitkänen-Huhta, A., Piirainen-Marsh, A., Nikula, T., & Peuronen, S. (2009). Young people's translocal new media uses: A multiperspective analysis of language choice and heteroglossia. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(4), 1080-1107. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01482.x
Li, W. (2018). Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 9-30. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amx039
Liu, K. (2021). Language choices as audience design strategies in Chinese multilingual speakers' WeChat posts. Global Media and China, 6(4), 391-415. https://doi.org/10.1177/20594364211035201
Major, B., & O'Brien, L. T. (2005). The social psychology of stigma. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 393-421. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070137
Marwick, A. E., & boyd, d. (2011). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter users, context collapse, and the imagined audience. New Media & Society, 13(1), 114-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444810365313
Maxwell, S. E., & Cole, D. A. (2007). Bias in cross-sectional analyses of longitudinal mediation. Psychological Methods, 12(1), 23-44. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.12.1.23
McEntee-Atalianis, L. J., Ateek, M., & Gardner-Chloros, P. (2023). Multilingual repertoires and identity in social media: Syrian refugees on Facebook. International Journal of Bilingualism, 27(5), 731-748. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069221121491
Meier, A., & Reinecke, L. (2021). Computer-mediated communication, social media, and mental health: A conceptual and empirical meta-review. Communication Research, 48(8), 1182-1209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650220958224
Nicholas, G., & Bhatia, A. (2023). Toward better automated content moderation in low-resource languages. Journal of Online Trust and Safety, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.54501/jots.v2i1.150
Pavlenko, A. (2005). Emotions and multilingualism. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584305
Petriglieri, J. L. (2011). Under threat: Responses to and the consequences of threats to individuals' identities. Academy of Management Review, 36(4), 641-662. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2009.0087
Pravitha, C. W., Retnaningdyah, P., & Widyastuti. (2026). Digital storytelling, communication anxiety, and English learning motivation among Indonesian EFL students: A pre-post intervention study. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 13(5), Article e2026-1314. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i5.1314
Preacher, K. J., Zyphur, M. J., & Zhang, Z. (2010). A general multilevel SEM framework for assessing multilevel mediation. Psychological Methods, 15(3), 209-233. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020141
Putnick, D. L., & Bornstein, M. H. (2016). Measurement invariance conventions and reporting: The state of the art and future directions for psychological research. Developmental Review, 41, 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.004
Rakysbayeva, N., Karibayev, O., Yerzhanov, Y., Raiymbekova, A., & Malik, G. (2026). Governing multilingual publics: Media governance, securitization, and civic belonging in Latvia and Kazakhstan. Frontiers in Political Science, 8, Article 1890646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2026.1890646
Reershemius, G. K. (2017). Autochthonous heritage languages and social media: Writing and bilingual practices in Low German on Facebook. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(1), 35-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2016.1151434
Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014). The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 921-948. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035754
Seargeant, P., Tagg, C., & Ngampramuan, W. (2012). Language choice and addressivity strategies in Thai-English social network interactions. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 16(4), 510-531. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2012.00540.x
Seyed Alitabar, S. H. (2025). The cultural imprint on the mind-body connection: Rethinking health beyond the biomedical model. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 12(4), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i4.1086
Seyed Alitabar, S. H. (2026). The forgotten body in digital mental health: Why culture, embodiment, and human connection must shape the future of AI-assisted care. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 13(6), Article e2026-1624. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i6.1624
Smagulova, J. (2008). Language policies of Kazakhization and their influence on language attitudes and use. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(3-4), 440-475. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050802148798
Smagulova, J. (2014). Early language socialization and language shift: Kazakh as baby talk. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 18(3), 370-387. https://doi.org/10.1111/josl.12078
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Steele, C. M., Spencer, S. J., & Aronson, J. (2002). Contending with group image: The psychology of stereotype and social identity threat. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 34, 379-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(02)80009-0
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Brooks/Cole. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1572543025615826560
Ten, A. (2024). On language gifts: Public discourses on Kazakh and Russian in Kazakhstan. Central Asian Survey, 43(3), 346-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2024.2310585
Ticheloven, A., McMonagle, S., & Blom, E. (2026). Emotional wellbeing and language proficiencies in adolescence: A systematic review. International Journal of Bilingualism, 30(4), 1142-1162. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069251360172
Tlepbergen, D., Akzhigitova, A., & Zabrodskaja, A. (2023). Bottom-up approach to language policy and planning in Kazakhstan. Societies, 13(2), Article 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13020043
Tlepbergen, D., Akzhigitova, A., & Zabrodskaja, A. (2025). Kazakh-English bilingualism in Kazakhstan: Public attitudes and language practices. Languages, 10(5), Article 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10050102
Usborne, E., & Taylor, D. M. (2010). The role of cultural identity clarity for self-concept clarity, self-esteem, and subjective well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(7), 883-897. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210372215
Van Gaeveren, K., Murphy, S. L., de Segovia Vicente, D., & Vanden Abeele, M. M. P. (2026). Connected yet cognitively drained? A mixed-methods study examining whether online vigilance and availability pressure promote mental fatigue. Communication Research, 53(5), 603-631. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502241248494
Vanden Abeele, M. M. P. (2021). Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct. Communication Theory, 31(4), 932-955. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa024
Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2017). Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review. Social Issues and Policy Review, 11(1), 274-302. https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12033
Yuval-Davis, N. (2006). Belonging and the politics of belonging. Patterns of Prejudice, 40(3), 197-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313220600769331
Zhang, Y., Wu, Y., Chen, Y., & Zhang, H. (2025). The impact of English usage on social media on college students' interpersonal communication intentions: A dual mediating model of language confidence and English cultural identity. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1692474. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1692474
Zharkynbekova, S., Ayupova, G., Galiyeva, B., Shakhputova, Z., & Zabrodskaja, A. (2025). Ethno-linguistic identity of Kazakhstani student youth in modern multinational context of Kazakhstan: Sociolinguistic analysis of empirical research. Languages, 10(2), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10020033
Zharkynbekova, S., & Chernyavskaya, V. E. (2022). Kazakh-Russian code mixing in metacommunicative perspective. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Language and Literature, 19(4), 780-798. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu09.2022.408
Zharkynbekova, S., Galiyeva, B., Ayupova, G., Bekova, M., & Shakhputova, Z. (2026). Language as a value category in Kazakhstan's multilingualism: A sociolinguistic analysis of ethnolinguistic identity and language attitudes among different population groups. International Journal of Bilingualism. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069261462817
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
