Media competence in Latin America: uses of YouTube and Instagram by university students on Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia

Abstract

Media competence involves the mastery of knowledge, skills and attitudes oriented to the production, management, and analysis of media content with and from different environments that promote critical thinking. This article gathers the findings of a research conducted in four countries -Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Bolivia- where a quantitative measurement instrument of media competence was applied to a sample of 1,730 undergraduate students from eight universities. The research was limited to two social networks, YouTube, and Instagram, where user participation acquires greater relevance. The results indicate that in the use of these social networks there is a predominance of colloquial language and a limited production of content, focused on entertainment and personal tastes. At the same time, however, there is a growing use linked to learning, of an informal nature, through the production of video tutorials, especially in the case of YouTube. Likewise, the need for greater digital and audiovisual literacy is identified, allowing young people to use these networks in a pedagogical way, so that they become educational scenarios that promote greater participation, discussion, and expression of students.