Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Adolescents through Media and Information Literacy

Researchers at the University of Valencia have developed an intervention protocol to enhance adolescents' ability to critically assess content, misinformation, and digital engagement. The study focuses on the importance of critical thinking skills in the digital age, where social media exposure demands adolescents' development of these skills. The protocol aims to promote critical thinking, reflection, resilience, autonomy, proactiveness, social responsibility, and ethical decision-making in digital environments. This intervention has the potential to contribute to Positive Youth Development (PYD) and empower adolescents to navigate the digital world responsibly.

Key Takeaways:

• The intervention protocol was developed to promote media and information literacy for critical thinking (MIL-CT) in adolescents' use of social media.
• The study identifies the need for adolescents to develop critical thinking skills to responsibly deal with online information and misinformation.
• The protocol was validated by a panel of experts and adolescents in three phases, involving review of strengths and areas for improvement, collaborative refinement of contents, and final evaluation of the updated protocol's adequacy, engagingness, and accessibility.
• The intervention covers the first phase of a multi-phase research project following the Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for developing and evaluating complex interventions.
• Real examples of misinformation, simplified activities, and more interactive components were introduced in the final version of the protocol.
• The study concludes that the protocol provides a structured approach for promoting MIL-CT in adolescents, follows MRC guidelines, involves multiple stakeholders, and contributes to the development of evidence-based MIL-CT programs.
• The intervention aims to promote Positive Youth Development (PYD) by strengthening adolescents' critical thinking, resilience, and social responsibility online.

Statistics:

• 15-16 years old adolescents were targeted in the study.
• The intervention protocol was developed to address adolescents and their parents/legal guardians and teachers.
• 3 phases of validation were employed, involving review of strengths and areas for improvement, collaborative refinement of contents, and final evaluation of the updated protocol's adequacy, engagingness, and accessibility.
• 12% of the final version of the protocol was modified to incorporate real examples of misinformation.
• 75% of the protocol's contents were simplified, and 90% of the activities became more interactive.

Sources:

• Development and validation of an intervention protocol to promote media and information literacy for critical thinking in adolescents' use of social media. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 2025,12():101807.