Journal of Digital Media & Interaction

Editorial

Oksana Tymoshchuk — 2024-12-30

Deconstructing the Value-Neutrality of Technology:

Christian Gardoni — 2024-12-30

It is often argued that technology is neutral. Even in the academic world there is still debate today whether it incorporates intrinsic moral values or whether, instead, it all depends on the use that is made of it. In this article this concept will be examined starting from the classification made by Luciano Floridi, in an attempt to dispel this mirage. It will be also discussed why and how Media Education should consider this assumption and include it in its repertoire as a first principle that guides every other reflection and transmittable skill in favor of a conscientization and literacy which it aims to achieve.

Estrategias Efectivas en Programas de Alfabetización Mediática contra la Desinformación Digital

Monica Niño Romero — 2024-12-30

In the digital age, misinformation represents a growing challenge to information integrity and democracy, exacerbated by the rapid spread of fake news on digital platforms. This study examines the effectiveness of media literacy education programs implemented in Europe and Latin America, targeting different groups such as youth, the elderly and vulnerable communities. Through a mixed methodological approach, including literature review, content analysis and questionnaires to journalists, key factors in the design and implementation of literacy initiatives were identified. The findings highlight the effectiveness of adapted methodologies, such as social network simulations for young people and face-to-face workshops for older adults, in improving critical skills in the face of misinformation. However, challenges remain in the inclusion of marginalized communities and in the technological training of journalists, who consider algorithmic literacy essential to confront information manipulation. This article concludes that media literacy programs, combined with regulatory frameworks and inter-institutional collaboration, are fundamental tools for building an informed and resilient citizenry in the face of the risks of the digital society.

Podcasts and Inclusive Narratives. New Spaces to Foster Citizenship Through Words

Luca Bravi — 2024-12-30

This article outlines a research-action project that uses podcasts as an educational tool within the field of diversity and inclusion, titled “Narrazioni di genere e altre identità. Costruire comunità inclusive” (“Gender Narratives and Other Identities: Building Inclusive Communities”). The podcast was chosen for its versatility and unique narrative characteristics, engaging students and teachers in reflecting on identity and diversity through individual and collective memories. The approach integrates the pedagogy of memory and storytelling as tools for critical literacy, emphasizing marginalized stories while fostering media literacy. The article introduces “Chiamami così” (“Call me this way”), a podcast series featuring stories of diversity and belonging within marginalized communities. The project explores various dimensions of diversity, creating a platform for dialogue and reflection. Through testimonials, interviews, and reportage, “Chiamami così” leverages the potential of podcasts to provide rich, innovative perspectives on inclusion and community, aiming to establish a shared and inclusive language.

Promoting Knowledge: Higher Education and Rural Ethiopia through a Podcast Journey

Marie-Anne Lorain — 2024-12-30

This study has two goals. The first is to raise higher education students’ awareness of accounting-financial practices aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. The second is to promote economic growth by training farmers in emerging countries—in this case in rural Ethiopia.

The study focuses on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), specifically to record several podcasts on optimal agricultural practices, budgeting, sales strategies, and nutrition. Simultaneously, professors developed a case study on a project finance for an NGO working in rural Ethiopia. Subsequently, through seminars, students in four Spanish universities worked on solving this case after reading relevant research articles and listening to the podcasts. The research also involved a survey to measure students' commitment to economic development as well as critical reflection and improvement of systemic learning competences.

In a second phase of the project, conducted in rural Ethiopia, farmers listened to the podcasts. This phase aimed to assess the effectiveness of podcasts in transmitting information in rural areas. Such effectiveness is crucial to the project's sustainability, as it reduces the need for external trips in potential crisis situations

Literacia dos fãs da série brasileira As Five na rede social X

Daiana Sigiliano — 2024-12-30

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar de que modo as pautas sociais exploradas no universo ficcional de As Five (Globoplay, 2020 - 2024) estimulam o pensamento crítico e o debate de ideias dos fãs da série brasileira na rede social X. Para a discussão desta questão foram monitoradas as postagens publicadas pelos telespectadores interagentes durante as três temporadas da produção do Globoplay. Conforme pontuam Lopes (2009), Baccega (2003) e Fischer (2017) e Borges e Sigiliano (2020) a dramatização de questões sociais estimula a formação de sujeitos críticos, ampliando o modo como percebem e compreendem o mundo em que estão inseridos. Conclui-se que as escolhas criativas e enquadramentos técnico-estéticos de As Five pautam as discussões dos telespectadores interagentes, reforçando o caráter pedagógico da ficção seriada. A mobilização dos fãs no X se desdobra também na inserção desses temas na agenda das políticas públicas, tais como o combate ao preconceito, a ampliação da representação de grupos minoritários, e no aprofundamento do debate sobre a educação sexual e o burnout.

El cuerpo es el texto: inteligencia artificial, textualidad, corporeidad y ciudadanía algorítmica

Monica Di Domenico — 2024-12-30

En las últimas décadas, la inteligencia artificial (IA) ha pasado a desempeñar un papel cada vez más

central en una amplia gama de campos, desde la industria a la sanidad o la educación, aporta ndo

cambios profundos y a menudo controvertidos. El uso de la IA en la educación, en particular, va

acompañado de un complejo conjunto de retos y posibilidades. Las tecnologías de IA permiten elaborar y personalizar el aprendizaje, respondiendo a las necesidades individuales de los estudiantes y promoviendo entornos interactivos sin precedentes (Luckin et al., 2016). Sin embargo, la integración de estas tecnologías ha planteado importantes cuestiones, no solo de carácter técnico, sino también filosófico, ético y social, que inciden en aspectos profundos del conocimiento y del aprendizaje humano.

Older Adults’ Safety and Security Online: A Post-Pandemic Exploration of Attitudes and Behaviors

Edgar Pacheco — 2024-12-30

Older adults’ growing use of the internet and related technologies, further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has prompted not only a critical examination of their behaviors and attitudes about online threats but also a greater understanding of the roles of specific characteristics within this population group. Based on survey data and using descriptive and inferential statistics, this empirical study delves into this matter. The behaviors and attitudes of a group of older adults aged 60 years and older (n=275) regarding different dimensions of online safety and cybersecurity are investigated. The results show that older adults report a discernible degree of concern about the security of their personal information. Despite the varied precautions taken, most of them do not know where to report online threats. What is more, regarding key demographics, the study found some significant differences in terms of gender and age group, but not disability status. This implies that older adults do not seem to constitute a homogeneous group when it comes to attitudes and behaviors regarding safety and security online. The study concludes that support systems should include older adults in the development of protective measures and acknowledge their diversity. The implications of the results are discussed and some directions for future research are proposed.

Critical Thinking and Transilience: Possible Answers to Invisible Poverty

Agnese Rosati — 2024-12-30

The contemporary era is characterised by a plethora of paradoxical phenomena, which are readily discernible through a critical gaze. Although individuals have access to an unlimited quantity of content, the speed at which they are created impairs its effective comprehension. Despite the public intention of digital platforms and social networks to facilitate the democratisation of knowledge among users, they frequently result in the proliferation of disinformation and the fragmentation of content. This has a particularly adverse impact on the most vulnerable social groups, who often lack the requisite interpretative, analytical and contextualising skills. The cultivation of critical thinking and transilience are educational commitments of the present era. They are essential for the assessment of information reliability and the enabling of autonomous and aware participation in democratic processes. The current abundance of information has accentuated cultural poverty, particularly among social groups that are already subject to invisible forms of poverty. This is because the information deluge has deprived these groups of the importance of recognizing the value of information. Through an analysis of the aforementioned issues, the contribution presents the necessity to equip citizens with cognitive and digital tools to orient themselves in the digital swarm.