Higher education is undergoing a period of universalization, characterized by digitalization and shifting perceptions of study. This is characterized by accelerated digitalization of educational processes and significantly changing conceptions and perceptions of study. In this context, it is important to consider the value of study not only in terms of applying oneself economically, but also from the perspective of subjective experience, motivation, and the development of relevant competencies for life in the information society. This case study identifies the perception of higher education values among students at the University of Finance and Administration in Prague, based on Martin Trow's theoretical framework. It examines how these perceptions reflect students' motivation and readiness to develop critical competencies for life in a digitalized culture. A comparative analysis focuses on differences between students in programs with integrated media/ digital literacy (Marketing/Media group-MM) and those without such training (Criminology/Law/Finance group-CLF). The quantitative survey (N=289) shows that while over 90% of respondents feel pride in their studies and exhibit goal orientation, the main findings indicate a shift toward pragmatic value and an erosion of academic ambitions. Significant findings include cognitive and emotional alienation: approximately onethird of students (34% MM, 29% CLF) feel bored in class. Most students (64% MM, 57% CLF) prioritize passing exams over achieving good grades, suggesting a weakening relationship to education as an intrinsic value. In the social-interactive dimension, MM students show a higher willingness to discuss course content (75%) compared to CLF students (63%). Furthermore, roughly 40% of students feel uncertainty about their professional future. These findings reinforce the thesis that intrinsic motivation is decisive for strengthening knowledge and skills in contemporary digital society.
In this study, we examine how multimedia design engineering students perceive and manage the ethical risks, professional threats, and authorship questions raised by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design, we surveyed 76 students at a public university in Campeche, Mexico. We found that most students already use GenAI in their workflow, particularly for prototyping and ideation, yet over half reported anxiety about professional displacement. When we compared students by academic level, freshmen were more inclined to attribute creativity to AI, while students nearing graduation tended to treat it as a tool. On data sovereignty, financial incentives shifted the position of undecided students, but those who had refused to share their work for AI training on principle did not change their stance. Most participants could not explain how these models work. In the discussion, we interpret these results in relation to current debates on AI literacy and argue that design programs should update their curricula to go beyond software training and address authorship, critical thinking, GenAI model bias, and data governance.
Artificial intelligence is altering how cyberbullying manifests among adolescents. Generative tools now make it much easier to create fake photos, cloned voices, and fabricated screenshots, reducing the cost of impersonation and deception. At the same time, ranking and recommendation systems on digital platforms can exacerbate the harm when they promote embarrassing content to larger, more widespread audiences and keep harmful content visible for longer periods. Those developments make it more difficult to trace blame and protect usable evidence, and to act quickly. But many of today’s prevention efforts and media literacy efforts continue to focus on AI-related risks in a narrow sense. To address this gap, the study conducted a PRISMA-ScR-guided scoping review of multidisciplinary studies published between 2018 and 2025. Following deduplication, 2,249 records were reviewed and 58 were added to the final synthesis. This paper clusters the evidence into four emergent AI-enabled threats: fabrication and impersonation, amplification driven by visibility dynamics, automation at scale, and gaps in governance and adjudication. Based on this evidence map and a five-stage overview of cyberbullying, the paper develops an AI-Media Literacy Competency Framework that establishes links between the threat areas and teachable competencies, stakeholder responsibilities, and actionable response plans. The framework establishes five teachable domains: syntheticmedia verification, platform and algorithm knowledge, privacy and identity preservation, reporting and redress, and prosocial bystander behavior. Rather than collecting new human-subject data, this paper synthesizes the existing evidence into a usable, AI-informed framework for prevention and response in contexts of uncertain authenticity, algorithmically amplified visibility, and continuous cross-platform recirculation.
This study examines how institutional school tracking and cultural capital shape the media literacy competencies of Croatian secondary school students (N = 2,347). Our findings are based on data collected in 2021 within the EduMediaTest project. Participants, students aged 14 to 18, demonstrated high functional proficiency in the Technology dimension (M = 4.42), while their performance in critical-analytical domains, such as Language (M = 2.24) and Production and Diffusion (M = 1.87), was substantially lower. This disparity suggests that technical fluency does not necessarily translate into the critical capacity needed to decode and evaluate media messages, supporting broader critiques of the “digital native” assumption. The interplay between home-based cultural resources, school tracking, and media literacy test scores was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and stratified multiple linear regressions. The association between social background and media literacy competencies differed across educational tracks. Among students in academically oriented gymnasium programs, socioeconomic background variables showed comparatively weaker associations with media literacy outcomes, whereas in vocational education tracks, media literacy competencies were more strongly associated with the family-based objectified cultural capital and informal digital media practices. These findings suggest that students outside the academic track may rely more extensively on private, home-based resources to develop the competencies needed to navigate digital environments safely and derive meaningful benefits from their use.
Bangladesh, characterized by rapid digital expansion and high adolescent internet penetration, is increasingly confronted with challenges related to online risk exposure, digital violence, and problematic internet use (PIU). Despite these developments, limited scholarly attention has been given to the intersection of digital media literacy and parental mediation in shaping safe online environments for adolescents. This study addresses this gap by examining the current state of parental mediation practices in Bangladesh and assessing levels of Parental Mediation Strategy Literacy and Application (PMSLA) among parents, with particular attention to (Internet Service Providers) ISP-based parental control mechanisms. Drawing on a mixed-method approach, the study combines primary survey data from 640 families across 64 districts with a comparative analysis of policy frameworks and practices in neighboring countries. The findings reveal significant disparities between urban and non-urban populations in Bangladesh, particularly in awareness and application of technical parental control tools. While urban parents demonstrate relatively higher engagement, a substantial proportion of parents outside major cities remain unfamiliar with available mediation mechanisms. Based on these outcomes, the study proposes a forward-looking framework emphasizing active mediation, public awareness campaigns, and policy-driven digital literacy initiatives. The study contributes to ongoing debates on digital governance by outlining practical and context-sensitive strategies to enhance online child safety in developing countries.
