Hello surfers!
It is no surprise that in our current world, online environments have become another playground for politics and young people. Whether it's new laws being passed or current happenings, social media users have become more clear where they stand in the political spectrum of ideologies.
According to Kahne and Bowyer (2019), most of the online political activity occurs within a media ecosystem defines as participatory culture. In participatory culture, engagement is often peer-based, interactive and independent of institutions. Scholars have argued that media literacy needs to be reinforced for young users to leverage these opportunities to share their voice. Their findings also suggest that is is important to recognize how engagement in participatory culture can be just as problematic as traditional participation.
So with so many readily available resources and opportunities, why is this a responsibility? Media literacy helps users distinguish between credible sources and misinformation, recognize bias, and think critically before sharing information with others. Without these skills, participatory culture can unintentionally contribute to the spread of false information and increased political polarization.
Overall, the concern is not whether young people should participate in online political discussions, but how they participate. Encouraging media literacy empowers individuals to become informed digital citizens who can engage respectfully, evaluate evidence, and contribute thoughtfully to conversations.
See you next week for another chapter of field notes!
Best,
Adri xx
References:
Kahne, J., & Bowyer, B. (2019). Can media literacy education increase digital engagement in politics? Learning Media and Technology, 44(2), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1601108
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