Media and information literacy's antecedents and consequences: A survey of Hong Kong University students

Abstract

Studies have shown how instruction can improve students’ media and information literacy (MIL), but researchers have not modeled MIL's broader antecedents or consequences. Hence, we explore demographics, digital citizenship's, and online engagement's links to MIL, and its ties to social trust or psychological well-being (PWB). In Hong Kong, 726 university students completed surveys. Our structural equation model showed that students with stronger digital citizenship beliefs reported more online engagement, which was linked to higher MIL behaviors. Students with greater MIL showed greater social trust, which had ties to greater PWB. Students whose families had higher incomes also showed greater MIL and greater PWB. Similarly, students whose mothers had more schooling had greater PWB. Lastly, students who spent more time with information and communication technologies had lower social trust. Thus, MIL is not simply classroom content; instead, outside factors are linked to it: digital citizenship, online engagement, social trust, and PWB.