In the context of digital transformation and the rapid growth of social media, students increasingly have opportunities to access information related to national defense and security. Social media contributes to spreading rapidly the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, while fostering a spirit of patriotism and raising awareness regarding the task of national defense. However, this environment also harbors risks stemming from fake news, misinformation, distorted viewpoints, and subversive content, which can impact students’ perceptions, beliefs, and responsibility. The paper focuses on clarifying the concepts of social media and national defense and security awareness, while also analyzing the role of national defense and security education for students in the digital environment. The results indicate that national defense and security education plays a crucial role in fostering patriotism, political steadfastness, and a sense of responsibility, as well as the ability to identify and verify information. Thereby, it contributes to fostering a young generation with the mettle, sense of responsibility, and capability to participate in defending the Fatherland in both the physical world and cyberspace.