MEDIA LITERACY SKILLS AS A PREDICTOR OF RESISTANCE TO ONLINE MISINFORMATION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Digitalization has dramatically increased the amount of false or misleading information available online, making media literacy and critical thinking important elements in the skill set needed to judge which online statements can be trusted. This research looked at how media literacy affects the way Pakistani university students deal with the spread of false or misleading information online. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used, and data was collected through an online questionnaire administered to 304 students. Two instruments were used: the Self-Perceived Media Literacy Scale (Arke & Primack, 2009) and the Online Misinformation Susceptibility Scale (OMISS; Katsiroumpa et al., 2025). Scores were oriented so that higher values indicate a greater ability to identify false or misleading information. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted in SPSS. Overall, students reported moderate levels of self-perceived media literacy, and there was a significant positive relationship between media literacy and verification behaviour (r = .47, p < .001). That is, as students demonstrated higher levels of media literacy, they were more likely to question the credibility of sources and check the accuracy of the information they encountered online. We therefore conclude that media literacy protects against the effects of misinformation rather than increasing susceptibility to it. Finally, education level was significantly associated with media literacy, F(5, 298) = 4.905, p < .001. The findings provide empirical support for explicitly teaching media-literate behaviours within the curriculum of post-secondary education institutions.