Guidelines for Promoting Media Literacy among Children and Youth to Monitor Unsafe and Non-Constructive Media in Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat Provinces

Abstract

        This study aimed to: 1) examine the levels of media literacy, risk perception, and media surveillance behaviors among children and youth; 2) analyze the roles of family, educational institutions, and youth participation in media literacy; 3) investigate the relationships between risk perception, family and school roles, youth participation, and media literacy levels; and 4) identify strategies to promote sustainable media literacy for monitoring unsafe and non-constructive media in Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Trat provinces. A mixed-methods design was employed, collecting quantitative data from 400 participants using a multi-stage stratified random questionnaire and qualitative data from 12 key informants through in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) children and youth exhibited high levels of media literacy (M= 3.89), very high risk perception (M = 4.25), and high participation in media surveillance (M = 3.92); 2) the roles of family, school, and youth reflected a “triadic mechanism,” where families shape media attitudes, schools serve as learning hubs, and youth act as change agents; 3) SEM analysis indicated that risk perception, family, and school roles positively influenced media literacy (β = .174–.196), with the model demonstrating good fit (CFI = .96, RMSEA = .04); and 4) strategies to enhance media literacy for monitoring unsafe and non-constructive media include integrating safe media curricula, strengthening family potential, establishing youth media surveillance networks, and developing a systematic provincial-level media monitoring platform.