How do we improve children’s media literacy? Committee investigates
The Communications and Digital Committee takes evidence on how to improve media literacy among children and young people, both as part of school curriculums and outside of school, as part of its ongoing inquiry into media literacy.
Meeting details
Background
The Committee is exploring media literacy in the UK and how it can be improved. Only 45% of UK adults are confident they can judge whether sources of information are truthful and just 30% believe they can identify content that is created by AI. Meanwhile, young children are increasingly present online, with a third of those aged five to seven accessing social media unsupervised, while recent research has highlighted the threats of online conspiracy theories and misogyny in schools.
The inquiry is considering the key actions required to enhance media literacy skills across the UK population, to enable citizens to engage with the digital world safely and responsibly.
Possible areas for discussion
Possible areas for discussion with the first witness panel include:
- How media literacy is currently taught in schools and how this could be improved.
- Whether changes to the national curriculum are required.
- How teachers can be supported and trained to deliver effective media literacy education.
Possible areas for discussion with the second witness panel include:
- How to develop children’s media literacy outside of school, including by providing support to parents.
- The role of online platforms in developing young people’s media literacy.