Managing Media Literacy for Youth to Prevent Social Violence in Digital Media Era

Abstract

The objectives of this research are 1) to study the problem of media literacy management for youth to prevent social violence in the digital media age, 2) to create a media literacy management plan for youth to prevent social violence problems in digital media, and 3) to evaluate the media literacy management plan for youth to prevent social violence problems in digital media. The research employed mixed methods research. The research framework applied the concept of media literacy. The study area is Nakhon Pathom Province. The samples consisted of 37 teachers and 358 junior high school students. Multistage random sampling was applied. Research tools included an interview form, a focus group form, and a questionnaire. The statistical analyses are percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Content analysis and descriptive narrative were also applied.

The results found that 1) problems of media literacy management for youth to prevent social violence in digital media era include: in part of the physical violence, environment and society are the causes of violence, causing feelings of low self-worth and mental collapse which can lead to suicide, in part of sexual violence, media depicts sexual violence results in imitative behavior and curiosity, in part of mental violence, results in stress, depression, depression, shame, and violence that causes loss, neglect and abandonment. The media presentations were unethical, which could reinforce feelings and wounds in the mind. 2) A media literacy management plan for youth to prevent social violence problems in the digital media era should include developing knowledge about media literacy skills, characteristics of media literacy, accessibility skills, analytical skills, media evaluation skills, and creative skills. Moreover, there should be a media literacy management plan for youth that includes concepts about media literacy, and the meaning and importance of media literacy according to the components of media literacy. Besides, there should be a matter of reducing violence from the media that consists of physical, sexual, and psychological violence; and those that cause loss, neglect, and abandonment from social media that affect society. And 3) in terms of evaluating the media literacy management plan for youth to prevent social violence problems in digital media, it was found that one should observe youth behaviors in classroom activities, attitude in studying, and classroom activity behaviors, as well as using pre-study and post-study tests or case studies.