by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
A nationwide survey conducted by the News Literacy Project this May demonstrated that there is a substantial need for media literacy education in American schools and, among teens, a desire for it.
The News Literacy Project has announced the results of a national online survey of 1,110 teens conducted May 17-28, 2024. The survey's participants were between the ages of 13 and 18. Key takeaways from the survey, and a downloadable PDF of the full report, are available on the News Literacy in America webpage.
Key findings
"Do you think schools should be required to teach media literacy?"
- Yes, definitely - 57%
- Yes, in some cases - 36%
- No, never - 6%
Participants were asked three questions designed to measure their ability to distinguish between different types of media, such as news, advertisement, opinion, and entertainment. Percentage of participants who answered 0, 1, 2, or all three questions correctly:
- Zero - 12%
- One - 32%
- Two - 38%
- Three - 18%
Of note, 50% of teens "do not recognize a branded content example as an advertisement," and 48% of teens "do not recognize an op-ed as an opinion piece."
"Do professional journalists and the organizations they work for in the United States are do more to harm democracy or protect it?"
- Protect democracy - 55%
- Harm democracy - 45%
Percentage of teens on social media who say they see posts that spread or promote conspiracy theories:
- Never - 20%
- Less than once per week - 29%
- Weekly - 31%
- Daily - 20%
Percentage of teens who say they use generative articificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot:
- Never - 45%
- Less than once per week - 32%
- Weekly - 18%
- Daily - 5%
