Digital media practices, intercultural anxiety, and cultural identity work among Malaysian and Indonesian undergraduates in cross-border education

This study examines how Malaysian students in Indonesia and Indonesian students in Malaysia use digital media to manage intercultural anxiety and negotiate cultural identity within cross-border higher education contexts. Drawing on Anxiety and Uncertainty Management (AUM) Theory and Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach involving semi-structured interviews, observations, and digital interaction materials from thirteen undergraduate students. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to explore how digital communication practices shape intercultural adaptation and identity work. The findings reveal that host-oriented digital engagement—such as participation in campus WhatsApp groups, local social media communities, and peer interaction platforms—helps students reduce uncertainty, understand local norms, and strengthen sociocultural integration. Conversely, excessive reliance on home-oriented digital networks may prolong uncertainty and limit engagement with host communities. Participants also negotiated multiple identity layers through code-switching, selective self-presentation, humor, and digital interaction strategies across online and offline settings. The study contributes to intercultural communication scholarship by demonstrating how digital media functions not only as a communication tool but also as an affective and identity-mediated infrastructure within culturally proximate yet nationally distinct educational environments.