Date

6-26-2025

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Media (PhD)

Chair

Wes Hartley

Keywords

media literacy, adolescents, digital media, inoculation, educators

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

Adolescents are avid yet vulnerable consumers of digital and social media, frequently exposed to non-credible information without possessing the essential tools to evaluate it effectively. The qualitative research conducted explores adolescent media literacy through the perspectives of middle school and high school educators, intending to understand students' ability to discern credible information. Additionally, this research aims to determine the extent to which current educational practices foster this skill. This study underscores the importance of equipping adolescents with media literacy skills in an increasingly complex and sometimes misleading digital environment. Thirty-six educators from four states in the U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. They offered narrative-rich insights into the challenges students face when evaluating online content. Five core themes emerged from their insights: (1) students' struggles with discerning credibility, (2) addiction to digital devices and social media, (3) the impact of technological immediacy on critical thinking, (4) the lack of formal media literacy instruction, and (5) educators' roles and sense of responsibility in fostering media literacy and critical evaluation. Despite recognizing the importance of media literacy, most educators reported an absence of formal training, insufficient integration into curricula, and limited institutional support.

The findings highlight the disparity between the challenges students encounter online and the resources available to help them navigate the digital media landscape. Educators consistently considered media literacy to be an essential life skill and advocated for integrating it into the curriculum. They expressed willingness to lead the charge but cited barriers such as lack of time, training, and policy. This study contributes to communication scholarship by elevating educator voices in the conversation on resilience to misinformation and offering a foundation for developing more effective, education-based inoculation strategies. It also suggests practical implications for policy development, teacher preparation, and curriculum design in an era defined by rapid information exchange and growing distrust in traditional sources of information.

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