STRENGTHENING CRITICAL AWAKENING SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the strengthening critical awakening social media literacy in the digital era. Social media plays an important role in shaping media literacy by disseminating information and creating awareness among users can be both beneficial and disadvantages. It serves as a platform for sharing content that influences public perception, highlighting the importance of media literacy in recognizing the purpose of media information. This research uses a qualitative approach. The informants of this research are Muslim youth in Medan.  The results show that social media literacy, which incorporates the features and implications of digital platforms, is the foundation for the awakening critical awareness of social media literacy. People’s ability to navigate it safely and successfully largely depends on their social media literacy skills, that has significant implications for individuals and society. The digital platforms are themselves positioned and positioning. The explicate its core content and competencies. The rapid digitalization and globalization have intensified media dissemination, raising critical issues about information authenticity and its societal impacts. While beneficial, it also presents significant challenges such as misinformation, algorithmic biases, and digital divides. Social media literacy empowers individuals to critically analyse media, discern between reliable and unreliable sources, recognize biases, and understand the broader socio-political implications of media messages.