Tech-Driven Civics: Preparing Students for the Digital Age of Democracy

The presence of technology in education has grown immensely over recent generations, revolutionizing the learning experience for students worldwide. The integration of computers, tablets, and most currently, virtual reality headsets, has created an entirely new atmosphere for educators and students alike. Despite technology being integrated into education at a continuously larger scale year after year, there has been little attention given to issues surrounding media literacy, which is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms. This past year at the DemocracyReadyNY Coalition, I, alongside my fellow youth cohort members, and other members of the Coalition, have dedicated our efforts to creating a space for dialogue and creative solutions to address the gap at the intersection of media literacy and civic education. Understanding media literacy is crucial for informed and engaged citizenship, making it an essential component of comprehensive civic education.

Realizing that none of the youth cohort members have had any type of media literacy class in their high schools, we discussed in what ways media literacy may have been brought up in our existing courses – in an attempt to create a foundation to start from. Many brought up classes, such as AP Government, so we wanted to delve into a deeper analysis of whether these classes effectively promote media literacy, or if they merely touch on it tangentially. Our discussions highlighted a broader issue: while subjects like AP Government provide a platform to engage with political content, they often do not equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the complex media landscape that influences our democratic processes. Additionally, AP classes are not available to all students or in all schools, further limiting access to comprehensive media literacy education.

Based on our interviews with peers, it was also evident that students want a more holistic, integrated education in which media literacy is not treated as an afterthought but as an essential element from day one. One student said that they wanted to have more discussions “on how tech affects public opinion and how it can be used for social change”. Moreover, during the New York Civic Learning Week webinar there was a stark contrast in perspective between the experts featured – such as Nardos and Leo – who emphasized the need to see media as a way to participate and engage in civic life, and more traditional-minded figures like Chris Sperry and Commissioner Rosa, whose approach seemed to emphasize adequate use of technology and issues of duty and responsibility in tech use. 

Moreover, peer interviews in New York State showed major gaps in how civic education policies are developed, implemented, and communicated. Many high school students said they were not aware of their rights under state educational standards to an education that prepares them for civic participation. This gap suggests an opportunity for intervention, particularly on how schools might leverage technology to meet the changing needs and wants of young people for civic education.

To address these challenges, Senate Bill S8217 could be a step in the right direction. This bill calls for improvements in media literacy in K-12 curricula statewide to ensure that “the education industry actively works to adopt policies for grade school students to receive necessary training on media literacy to adapt to changes and various mediums in media, in addition to understanding nuances in other forms of media in the modern and dynamic media landscape”.

But only time will tell if S8217, by itself, can build a media-literate graduating class at every grade level. 

To ignite meaningful change, I propose several action steps: 

1. Integration of Media Literacy into Existing Curricula: Media Literacy should not be taught as a standalone subject besides other subjects. It should be part of the curricula of all school subjects, and students should receive systematic education around it. 
2. Professional Development for Educators: Teachers need to be constantly trained in the latest digital tools, and better informed about the subtleties of media influence so they can effectively help students. 
3. Student-Led Initiatives: When students get the chance to lead discussions and projects, the classroom becomes more open and communal, and students can develop good habits and a sense of responsibility to decide what their school-assigned curricula are about.

 It’s only by bringing these strategies into play that we’ll change the narrative and dynamics of media literacy instruction in New York State, and re-establish it as a core component of civic instruction for all. Doing so is critical not just to the intellectual and ethical development of students, but to the future of our democracy.