From Google Searches to Russian Disinformation: Adolescent Critical Race Digital Literacy Skills and Needs

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Racist Narratives, Misrepresentations, and Inequities: Media and Critical Stances

Abstract

Fake news, online propaganda, and disinformation campaigns have become a persistent problem (boyd, 2017), and growing numbers of educators and researchers have begun to identify media literacy as a crucial contemporary skillset for civic life online (Bennett, 2008; Hobbs, 2010). With its emphasis on unmasking hidden white supremacist narratives, critical race media literacy research is well-situated to support youth in these tasks. In the current study, we assess Black and Latinx youth’s ability to critically evaluate online race-related content. Findings indicate that majority of youth in the sample were unable to evaluate the credibility of race-related online content. These results suggest a need for developmentally appropriate interventions that cultivate digital literacy skills around race-related content.

Authors

• Ashley Stewart, University of Southern California

• Matthew Hamilton, University of Southern California

• Brendesha M. Tynes, University of Southern California

• Henry Willis, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill