Digital media literacy and the use of Facebook among high school students in Cyprus

Papaioannou, T. (2011). Digital media literacy and the use of Facebook among high school students in Cyprus . Zagreb conference: "New challenges and methodological innovations in European media audience research". 7-9 April 2011.

Abstract: This project aims to evaluate digital media literacy demonstrated in the uses of Facebook among Cypriot youth. Adopting the conceptualization of two dimensions within media literacy -- individual competences and environmental/contextual factors which affect individual competences, this study will first assess individual competences reflected in the social practices on Facebook and then examine some contextual factors with an emphasis on the role of media education. Individual competences will be measured by three key variables including the individual’s technical skill of Facebook access and use, the individual’s fluency of comprehension and evaluation of contents and Facebook as a social medium and the individual’s capacity to establish social relations through Facebook. A set of contextual factors have been identified as impacting the broad span of media literacy. These factors are represented in five key areas such as media education, media literacy policy/regulation, the media industry, civil society and the availability of media and information. The present study will focus on the influence of media education which currently is not in the national curriculum of secondary education in Cyprus. With regard to research methodology, this study will conduct a combination of surveys with high school students aged 14/15 – 18/19 and with high school teachers, particularly those who teach social studies. The comparison and contrast of these two sets of data will allow for not only identification of youth social media practices, therefore assessing digital media literacy associated with these uses, but also exploration of both students’ and teachers’ interpretations of youth social media behaviors as well as their perceptions of youth digital literacy and media education.