ABSTRACT
Media literacy has grown dramatically around the world over the past ten years, and the rise of so-called “fake news” has increased public demand for educational interventions in many countries around the world. Today, new stakeholders may emphasize the need to identify quality journalism, understand how influencers influence, resist clickbait, discern false information and hoaxes, and cope with propaganda, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. Beginning in preschool, educational programs children develop skills in comprehending and interpreting; older children can recognize how expressive symbols activate emotion and shape perceptions of reality. Research that assesses media literacy competencies of adolescents and young adults has proliferated in recent years, in part due to sustained investment by the European Commission, the U.S. State Department, digital platform companies, and other funders. Comparative survey research reveals that media literacy is entering the curriculum in some countries. Researchers have studied how media literacy education affects consumer culture, substance abuse, and nutrition, among other topics. With a strong focus on empowerment, some media literacy educators and scholars celebrate creative and expressive practices where media production activities help children and young people to advance confidence, agency, and self-efficacy.
