From Scrolling to Engagement: Media Literacy and Youth Civic Development

Media literacy is increasingly important for helping young people navigate a complex information environment and participate in civic and political life. This paper examines Project Community, a civic education program of the Center for Civic Education that incorporates media literacy into a policy-focused curriculum for elementary and middle school students. Using pre- and posttest data from treatment and control group classrooms, we assess whether participation in Project Community improves media literacy and civic outcomes. We then examine how media literacy knowledge and confidence are associated with civic skills. Students in Project Community demonstrated greater gains in media literacy knowledge than students in control classrooms. Media literacy outcomes were strongly associated with broader civic competencies. These findings have implications for civic education, suggesting media literacy can be effectively integrated into civic education and may complement, rather than compete with, the development of civic knowledge and skills.