Evaluation of Media Literacy in Students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

Background and Purpose: Media literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyze, and evaluate the messages transferred by the media, which has various dimensions including creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This study was conducted to investigate the media literacy of students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, ۳۷۰ students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences participated. They were selected via social networks using stratified random sampling in ۲۰۲۱. The data were collected using demographic and media literacy measurements. Furthermore, the data were analyzed by SPSS software, version ۲۰. Results: The results showed that ۸۷% and ۱۳% of the participants had a moderate and high level of media literacy, respectively. The highest and lowest mean scores were related to dimensions of media message content perception and media message analysis. The study also showed a significant relationship between age, grade point average, and father’s education level with media literacy. Using social media like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook was significantly associated with media literacy.  Conclusion: The result showed that the rate of media literacy in students was moderate, but students had a low level of media message analysis and critical thinking. So, we conclude that there is a need to provide training in media literacy skills in institutions, universities, and schools.

Keywords:

Media literacy , Medical students , Social media , Facebook