The impact of university students’ critical thinking skills and information sharing behaviors on digital media literacy skills

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of university students’ critical thinking skills and information-sharing behaviors on their digital media literacy levels. Conducted with 301 students from various departments during the 2023–2024 academic year, the study adopted a relational screening model and employed three main scales: Digital Literacy Scale, Information Sharing Behaviors Scale, and Marmara Critical Thinking Tendencies Scale. The results revealed significant and positive relationships between critical thinking, information sharing, and digital media literacy. However, no significant difference was found between those who received media literacy education and those who did not. The findings highlight the importance of fostering critical thinking skills to enhance students’ digital media literacy.