The effectiveness of participatory near-peer digital media literacy interventions

The impacts of digital media literacy (DML) interventions are mixed, perhaps due to adult-driven curricula and misalignment with youth’s needs. We tested how student-led, developmentally-informed DML education could leverage youth’s expertise. Using Youth Participatory Action Research and near-peer mentoring, high school students (n = 31) designed and taught digital literacy interventions in two areas (1) digital communication (i.e. group-chats) and (2) persuasive design (e.g. features such as infinite scroll), resulting in significant increases in knowledge of digital communication conflict prevention and remediation strategies, along with identification and knowledge of persuasive design for 79 middle and 31 high school students. High schoolers also reported more feelings of agency and research knowledge. These findings indicate that making DML interventions developmentally aligned might be key for supporting youth in the digital age.