Digital Literacy Education in the Post-Truth Era: A Communication Sociology Perspective on Social Polarization
Keywords:
Digital literacy education, Post-truth era, Social polarization, Disinformation, Communication sociology, Critical thinking, Digital communication, Systematic literature reviewAbstract
The post-truth era has significantly transformed the way information was produced, interpreted, and disseminated in digital environments, particularly through social media platforms. This condition has intensified the spread of disinformation and strengthened social polarization in many societies. The problem was reflected in the limited ability of individuals, especially in educational contexts, to critically evaluate digital information and to engage in responsible communication in the online public sphere.
Digital literacy education was proposed as an essential strategy to improve critical thinking skills and ethical communication in the digital learning environment. Strengthening digital literacy in educational practices was expected to reduce the influence of misinformation and to support healthier public communication.
This research contributed to the conceptual integration between communication sociology and digital literacy education in understanding the challenges of the post-truth era. The study also highlighted the role of education in promoting critical awareness and responsible digital participation.
The research used a qualitative approach through a systematic literature review. Academic articles, books, and scholarly publications related to post-truth, digital literacy, communication sociology, and social polarization were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The literature was classified into thematic categories to identify relationships between communication dynamics and educational responses.
The results indicated that disinformation in the post-truth era weakened public trust, intensified ideological divisions, and reshaped communication patterns in digital society. The findings also showed that low digital literacy increased vulnerability to misinformation and limited individuals’ ability to critically assess online content. In educational contexts, integrating digital literacy into learning processes strengthened students’ critical thinking, information evaluation skills, and ethical communication behavior. Educational institutions therefore played a strategic role in developing digital awareness and responsible participation in digital communication spaces.
In conclusion, digital literacy education was essential in addressing the challenges of the post-truth era. Integrating digital literacy within educational development helped reduce the impact of disinformation, improved communication quality, and supported a more inclusive and critical digital society.
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