The role of generation Z media literacy in confronting the destructive value messages of digital media
Authors:   National Research Tomsk State University, Liventsova Evgenia Yu. , Gorchakova Olesya Yu. ,   National Research Tomsk State University, Tolstova Maria A. ,   National Research Tomsk State University
Published: May 2024

Introduction. Today, the Internet environment has become a usual place of living and working for Generation Z. Digital media have created a unique digital environment adapted to the most diverse requests and needs of the new generation. However, in addition to its constructive capacity and boundless opportunities for education, the digital environment has a negative impact on the value orientations and priorities of the younger generation. The aim of this article is to review the studies on the role of media literacy in countering the negative effects and destructive value messages in digital media, as well as to summarize current trends and educational solutions in teaching media literacy. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the research includes general scientific methods such as analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, description, philosophical methods (hermeneutics, dialectics), social and pedagogical methods. Materials of the research are articles from Russian and foreign periodicals published mainly for the last 5 years. The main source of data was the analysis of publications in the search engine for world scientific publications Google Scholar. The search for publications was additionally carried out through electronic scientific libraries Elibrary. ru, CyberLeninka, and ResearchGate. Research results. The increasing complexity and growth of the destructive influence of digital media on the young generation determines the principles of developing and shaping the content and focus of modern media education. The development of media literacy should be carried out according to the age, value, and motivational features of personal development at all levels of education, combining technological, cognitive, social, and ethical components of media competence. Conclusion. The development and execution of media literacy projects and educational programs aimed at developing media literacy and increasing resistance to manipulative and destructive content of digital media is an urgent research and practical task, especially in the context of the experimental-evidence-based paradigm. Today, under conditions of increasing complexity and improvement of digital media, literacy and information culture become the key to the safe psychological and physical growth of a person in the digital world, including in the context of increasing civil involvement of young people. Media literacy is a sophisticated set of abilities, including the ability to think critically about a diverse range of digital content (news, entertainment, commercial, educational, viral) and to understand its consequences. It also includes the ability to use digital tools and technologies to create content, the ability to reflect on one's state and behavior and to manage emotional reactions, and the ability to build socially acceptable and ethically correct communication and interaction with other users. There is a shortage of Russian studies aimed at investigating the educational effects related to literacy education of different age groups in accordance with the user's goals and motivations for digital content consumption.