Abstract
Digital media is the inextricable part of our future, a future which literally defined by the way the next generation is being educated. On the one hand, children and young people are commonly assumed as the “digital natives” –the generation who master the technology. Yet, when it comes to risks, they are considered as the vulnerable generation that is prone to the harmful activities afforded by digital media. Responding to this dilemma, most national governments all over the world are embracing digital literacy in its present and future policy development. With a qualitative approach, this research examines the policies concerning digital literacy for children and young people in Asia-Pacific region, through study cases of Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The rationalities and strategies of promoting digital literacy in each country are being evaluated with a combination of document and stakeholder analysis, in which the analytical framework was mainly drawn from the research of Frau-Meigs, Velez & Flores Michel (2017) and UNESCO Media Information Literacy Policy and Strategy Guideline (2013). This research finds that neoliberalism still dominating the rationalities of most policymakers in developing digital literacy policies. Interestingly, strong emphasis on the social-emotional dimension of digital literacy was found in Singapore and Indonesia. In a positive light, inter-ministerial coordination emerged and there are extra supports for the digitally (and socially) excluded groups. The aspect that urgently needed to be improved is the evaluation tool of the policies, as its absence will affect the monitoring process and hampered its effectiveness.
Author Information
Amalia Nurul Muthmainnah, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Indonesia
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