Demographic context of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) skills among senior high school students in Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores the media and information literacy (MIL) competencies of young Ghanaians in senior high schools. It is premised on the rising spate of misinformation, online security breaches, and the avalanche of content young people must navigate. Together, these factors demand young persons to be new media savvy in order to use the affordances of the current media ecology to their benefit. To advocate for comprehensive MIL education in senior high schools in Ghana, the study adopts a comparative analysis logic to examine demographic differences that attend young people’s media and information literacy. A nationwide survey of 1200 senior high students enables comparisons of MIL across different demographic variables, including gender, type of school, and access to new media technology. Findings reveal that the students generally have weak media and information literacy. However, this is tempered by their demographics. Students in high ranked schools have better MIL than those in less-endowed schools. Interestingly, the study also found that those with better access to digital tools demonstrate low MIL competency. The findings point to an urgent need for MIL education to be integrated into formal education curriculum to improve the MIL of Ghana’s youth.