Media literacy in family stages. Diagnosis, requirements and training proposal

Abstract

This research describes, on the one hand, media literacy processes that occur in a sample of families from Spain; with a focus on: their degree of critical thinking on the use of technical language, the effective and responsible management, the discrimination of values and trends carried by the media, the assessment of information transmitted by them, their training, commitment and participation as consumers thereof. On the other hand, it collects their most pressing demands and concerns about the media usually used by the family. The methodology is qualitative, and information has been extracted through the application of a Focus Group in nine Spanish provinces. Among the most important results include the extensive knowledge that families have on the media and the fear of the use and construction of messages on social networks and the need for more training around them. Ultimately, the urgency of research to design a training plan about media literacy that enhances critical skills at home and encourages the participation of its members as active and responsible citizens, while giving them specific knowledge about the technical and audiovisual language, the practical and accountable management, the influence of values, and the aesthetic trends of media.