{"id":7142,"date":"2025-11-24T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/2025\/11\/24\/interpretation-of-the-results-of-the-media-literacy-questionnaire-among-high-school-and-vocational-education-students-from-timis-county-romania\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T13:14:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T13:14:57","slug":"interpretation-of-the-results-of-the-media-literacy-questionnaire-among-high-school-and-vocational-education-students-from-timis-county-romania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/2025\/11\/24\/interpretation-of-the-results-of-the-media-literacy-questionnaire-among-high-school-and-vocational-education-students-from-timis-county-romania\/","title":{"rendered":"Interpretation of the Results of the Media Literacy Questionnaire Among High School and Vocational Education Students\u00a0from\u00a0Timis\u00a0county \/ Romania\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Autori:\u00a0Ioan\u00a0Ciprian\u00a0Blaj\u00a0&amp; Aura\u00a0Codru\u021ba\u00a0Danielescu<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the data collection period, the media literacy questionnaire was administered to&nbsp;<strong>694 students<\/strong>&nbsp;from several educational institutions in&nbsp;Timi\u0219&nbsp;County,&nbsp;representing&nbsp;the theoretical, technological, and vocational tracks. The students come from:&nbsp;<strong>Colegiul&nbsp;Na\u021bional&nbsp;Pedagogic \u201cCarmen Sylva\u201d&nbsp;Timi\u0219oara,&nbsp;Liceul&nbsp;Teoretic&nbsp;\u201cTraian&nbsp;Vuia\u201d&nbsp;F\u0103get,&nbsp;Liceul&nbsp;Tehnologic&nbsp;Electrotimi\u0219&nbsp;Timi\u0219oara,&nbsp;Liceul&nbsp;Teoretic&nbsp;Periam&nbsp;(rural area),&nbsp;Liceul&nbsp;Tehnologic&nbsp;\u201cValeriu&nbsp;Brani\u0219te\u201d&nbsp;Lugoj,&nbsp;Liceul&nbsp;Tehnologic&nbsp;\u201cTraian&nbsp;Groz\u0103vescu\u201d&nbsp;N\u0103drag&nbsp;(rural area),&nbsp;Colegiul&nbsp;Tehnic&nbsp;\u201cEmanuil&nbsp;Ungureanu\u201d&nbsp;Timi\u0219oara<\/strong>. The diversity of school profiles&nbsp;provides&nbsp;a broad view of how adolescents in the county perceive and use digital information in their everyday lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The collected data shows, from the very first analyses, that the digital environment is the central space for information, communication, and socialization for lower secondary, high school, and vocational students. Thus, the detailed interpretation of the results highlights not only their media behaviors but also the vulnerabilities, gaps, and emerging competencies that need to be strengthened in school through coherent media education programs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Time Spent Online: An Indicator of Digital Dependency<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distribution of responses&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;time spent online confirms a reality already&nbsp;observed&nbsp;in recent studies: students live in an almost permanent digital ecosystem. The graph shows a strong concentration in the intervals \u201cbetween 3\u20136 hours\u201d and \u201cbetween 1\u20133 hours,\u201d followed by \u201cbetween 6\u20138 hours.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Very few students report spending less than one hour online, and the \u201cNot at all\u201d category is almost nonexistent. This high volume of digital consumption inevitably amplifies exposure to:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>manipulative content,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>aggressive recommendation algorithms,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>volatile and sometimes dangerous trends,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>information\u00a0flows that are difficult to filter.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Main Sources of Information: Social Media Dominates Strongly<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most&nbsp;frequently&nbsp;used channels for information are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>TikTok\u00a0(78.1%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Instagram (74.9%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>YouTube (55.9%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Google (20.2%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>News platforms (14.1%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data&nbsp;indicates&nbsp;an information behavior that is strongly visual, short, rapid, and guided by algorithms and influencers. Traditional sources\u2014newspapers, TV, official&nbsp;channels\u2014are almost absent. This preference increases the risk that students will engage with:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>unverified content,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>opinions presented as facts,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>manipulative materials,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>conspiracy narratives.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Information Verification: A Fluctuating Behavior<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked \u201cHow often do you check whether a piece of information is true?\u201d,&nbsp;only&nbsp;<strong>33%<\/strong>&nbsp;of respondents&nbsp;stated&nbsp;that they do so \u201coften,\u201d while&nbsp;<strong>38.2%<\/strong>&nbsp;check \u201csometimes.\u201d About one third admit that they&nbsp;check rarely&nbsp;or never.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This behavior shows that students have not yet developed a solid reflex for validating information\u2014an essential skill in the digital age marked by the phenomenon of fake news.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Perceived Media Literacy vs. Actual Media Literacy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A notable contrast&nbsp;emerges&nbsp;between:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>self-perceived competencies<\/strong>, and\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>actual behaviors<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although&nbsp;<strong>42.2%<\/strong>&nbsp;believe they know what media literacy means (but not exactly), and&nbsp;<strong>26.5%<\/strong>&nbsp;say they understand it \u201cto a great extent,\u201d behaviors such as source verification, understanding bias, or detecting&nbsp;deepfakes&nbsp;indicate uneven levels of these competencies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even so,&nbsp;students&nbsp;express strong confidence in their ability to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;fake news (65.7%) and&nbsp;deepfakes&nbsp;(48%). This discrepancy between&nbsp;perception&nbsp;and reality highlights the need for practical activities that explain the difference between&nbsp;<strong>knowing the term<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>being able to perform the necessary critical analysis<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. When Evaluating a News Item: What Do Students Check?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common criteria used are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Source of the information (71.2%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirmation from other sources (57.9%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Date of publication (47%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Surprisingly, a high percentage of students also pay attention to:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>comments from other users (46.8%)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a highly unreliable indicator\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>number of shares (9.7%)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a criterion reflecting popularity, not credibility\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time,&nbsp;<strong>13.7% do not check anything<\/strong>, which&nbsp;represents&nbsp;a critical vulnerability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>6. Exposure to False Information: An Omnipresent Phenomenon<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The majority of&nbsp;students \u2014&nbsp;<strong>73.2%<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 state that they have&nbsp;encountered&nbsp;false or questionable information in the past month. They&nbsp;identify&nbsp;the most common types as:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Content about influencers \/ celebrities (52.7%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Political content (42.8%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Misleading advertising (40.9%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conspiracies (33.9%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Health-related fake news (22.7%)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>AI-generated \/\u00a0deepfake\u00a0materials<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 increasingly mentioned\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This exposure confirms that young people are at the center of a digital ecosystem in which manipulation and information distortion are ever-present and often highly appealing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7. Students\u2019 Perceptions of Online Manipulation<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open-ended responses reveal that students&nbsp;identify&nbsp;the most dangerous forms of manipulation as:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>fake news,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>emotional manipulation,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>deepfakes\u00a0and AI-generated content,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>grooming and dangerous online interactions,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>influencers promoting products or ideas deceptively,\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>risky\u00a0trends on\u00a0TikTok\u00a0and Instagram.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students are aware that their emotions can be exploited and that social pressure can strongly influence them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interpretation of the data clearly shows that&nbsp;<strong>media literacy among students is a critical area situated between opportunity, vulnerability, and responsibility<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Opportunity<\/strong>, because students are connected, curious, and familiar with technology.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Vulnerability<\/strong>, because they have not yet developed the critical reflexes needed to verify information in an environment dominated by algorithms and manipulation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Responsibility<\/strong>, because formal and non-formal education must develop real media literacy programs for both teachers and students.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Autori:\u00a0Ioan\u00a0Ciprian\u00a0Blaj\u00a0&amp; Aura\u00a0Codru\u021ba\u00a0Danielescu\u00a0 During the data collection period, the media literacy questionnaire was administered to&nbsp;694 students&nbsp;from several educational institutions in&nbsp;Timi\u0219&nbsp;County,&nbsp;representing&nbsp;the theoretical, technological,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-it"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":46,"label":"News"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Ana Nunes","author_link":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/author\/ana-nunes\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":46,"name":"News","slug":"news-it","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":20,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":46,"category_count":20,"category_description":"","cat_name":"News","category_nicename":"news-it","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7142"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7149,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7142\/revisions\/7149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinktwiceproject.eu\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}