Abstract

This paper is a segment of a larger dissertation exploring the impact of digital media literacy (DML) skills on the accuracy of truth discernment. The purpose of this paper is to offer broader access to the findings and contribute to the discussions of disinformation, focusing on the significance of the accuracy of truth discernment in politics and law. As earlier studies have examined, the influx of disinformation in the digital age was a pressing global security threat, spreading rapidly through social media platforms. Disinformation, consisting of the deliberate spread of falsehoods, causing chaos and confusion eroded trust in media and government, driving citizens to believe falsehoods to be true, particularly in the absence of DML to discern the reliability of information. This study supports earlier research, revealing that simplifying access to credible information empowers individuals to retrieve trustworthy sources. The qualitative content analysis conducted in this study shows that DML skills shape truth-seeking behaviors, finding high correlations between DML skills and informed political participation. The findings of this research delineate the theoretical mechanisms of how DML skills empower individuals to engage in civil society by synthesizing themes described by scholars within the top 100 cited sample studies selected. Future researchers can assess the theoretical mechanisms outlined in this study to determine their effectiveness by implementing training programs to develop foundations for informed decision-making, political participation, and responsible sharing behavior.

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