This handbook will help young people and youth-led organizations to advance their digital media and information skills. It contains four chapters that have been broken down to address key concepts with regard to digital media and information literacy.

Living in the 21st Century, media has rapidly become central to everyday life. Through the ever-improving use of technological tools such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computers, users have the opportunity to engage in anything from political and social debates and educate, inform, and entertain themselves and others around the world.

The point of media today is not only used to communicate, debate, or find solutions to an issue but also to make use of various platforms to inform oneself about the world around them. In doing so, every individual has the opportunity to play a significant role in the way in which media is shared and processed.

This handbook attempts to bridge the gap between digital media literacy and quality civic engagement within the context of youth participation. The important of the link between the two phenomena is needed to study both the negative and positive effects digital media literacy has on quality civic engagement. 

There is a vast amount of literature about digital media and civic engagement. Similarly, we can find several practical examples that clearly understand the use and importance of digital media literacy for quality civic engagement in today’s society. We also explore a short history explaining youth civic engagement and the importance of media literacy.

Furthermore, we have brain teasers in exercises, games, jokes, and interesting facts. We hope that youth in Kenya, Africa, and beyond will use this handbook to ensure we all have the right digital and information skills to navigate the ever-dynamic digital and media platforms, especially during elections.

In various sections and chapters of this handbook, civic engagement is broadly defined to introduce the users and readers. However, to reiterate our understanding, it is simply seen that participating in voluntary activities matters for four reasons: developing one’s capacities, creating a community, cultivating democratic virtues, and protecting the interests in public life. 

In the handbook, definitions of digital media literacy have also been given to familiarize the reader and user with youth civic engagement and its importance in involving youth in several causes for change, inclusion, peace, and stability.

According to Camino and Zeldin, plurality in civic engagement is key, “The involvement of a broad range of citizens, with no group excluded, and who have ensured equitable participation set up conditions for heterogeneity of ideas, promoting democratic deliberation and action.” In recent years, there has been an increase in youth digital participation in various causes for the change in government, the environment, and social campaigns for justice.

In modern democratic societies that advanced during the period of the mid-to-late 20th century, the use of communication for political purposes was initiated by authorities who made use of mass media channels to prompt individual identifications with standards or morals that were embodied by political parties, unions, churches, government branches, movements, and the press. 

Through the use of communication tools such as; print (introduced in Africa in the early 1800s), radio (introduced in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1920s to late 1930s), and later on, in the late 1950s, television was used as a means of informing the masses about political and governmental policies and directives. An article posted by “Cultural Survival” explains that these tools were used for good and bad purposes. With the colonization of several African nations, mass media was used for development and production, which resulted in unfortunate forms of cultural alienation, invasion, and disorientation.

Control of wealth, natural resources, and cultural products were the main aims of colonialism”. Later on, after the dawn of growing calls for independence in African states, the use of platforms like radio were used in a positive way to disseminate “limited but vital information to small, local constituents in newly independent societies.” The author adds that “The greatest media contribution that helps maintain African culture, language, and continuity has come from radio and television.”

Before, youth who took part in political or social campaigns did not have access to efficient tools for delivery time. Mechanisms such as landline telephones, telegraphs, and letters were used to communicate to the masses. However, due to the slow pace of messaging, a lack of access to those communication tools, and even government censorship, not all of the campaigns gained the traction that modern-day youth civic engagement has.

Things have, however, drastically changed with the advances in media tools as a means for communication, investigation, and verification. The advancement and digitization in media tools “have allowed traditionally passive audiences to become active participants, interact with media, and produce their information” without media involvement. In the 21st Century, youth have the world at their fingertips and can share much information through online platforms and tools such as smartphones and tablets. 

This entails that through digital media, youth in the 21st Century have the opportunity to participate in protests, campaigns, and movements of all kinds through the use of digital media. Through these tools, civic engagement is rapid, immediate, and has the potential to reach a wider audience, as the Internet and mobile media are “not only continually feeding today’s youth with information but also enabling them to connect and express and share their viewpoints and emotions.''

Young users interact with digital media materials and platforms to benefit from immediate communication and ensure they stay in the loop with the latest global trends. This might include “conversing with each other, creating, editing, and sharing new forms.”

This, however, goes far beyond what youth are typically involved in doing. Shirky notes that as the communication landscape gets denser, more complex, and more participatory for users, the “networked population is gaining greater access to information, more opportunities to engage in public speech, and an enhanced ability to undertake collective action.” This demonstrates how digital media users use platforms to engage in political, social, and even environmental changes. 

Several social media platforms target different audiences to allow individuals to share ideas, videos, photos, and connections to form a system of people interested in a common Cause.

Before the advent of the technological boom, media practitioners did pay much attention to the use of media tools and media literacy. What mattered at the time was the media's faction as the guide to people’s opinions and being the mediator between the real world and its audiences.

According to Kim and Yang, the participation of youth online includes “conversing casually about contemporary social issues, mixing cute emoticons and avatars into serious conversations, conversing in chat rooms, participating in online social campaigns via social network service and playing games designed to advance awareness of environmental issues.” It is noted that global youth use the Internet and, in some ways, contribute to civic engagement. 

The authors further state that these issues not only pertain to political affairs but also social and environmental issues and are more often recognized as legitimate forms of participation. Some scholars believe civic engagement arises naturally from digital media use, others believe that media literacy education is needed to provide the cognitive and social scaffolding that systematically supports civic engagement.”

It is also known that citizens do not only need access to information but are also in need of the motives to process the information that is given to them effectively. The process of civic engagement does not only include the action of voting, mobilizing for a march or rally, or even public campaigning in public spaces such as shopping centers and university campuses. Culver and Jacobson state that changes in technology have opened the opportunity for the expansion of a new kind of civic engagement. This might include citizens participating through the use of blogs, vlogs, tweets, and videos to interact with fellow online communities and deepen their commitment to their social, political, or environmental causes. 

Several examples can be used to highlight the effects of digital media literacy on civic participation in the modern era.

Monica B. Chibita provides a model through her discussion of the growing tension between the Ugandan government and its citizens becoming more dissatisfied with the ever-increasing concerns of not being able to express themselves through mainstream media platforms adequately. She also led the ‘Save Mariba’ campaign of 2007-2011, where several blog posts and Facebook pages were created to support this movement amongst young people. The section then looks at citizens' participation in digital activism and governments' response to these actions.

In South Africa, Bosch discusses the #FeesMustFall protests amongst young tertiary institution students. The protests were sparked by the steep increase in university students in the country struggling to complete schooling due to the exorbitant cost of tertiary schooling.

The author notes the impact of these protests through the use of digital media and social media platforms by stating that: “In an analysis of online coverage of the #FMF protests, research, and monitoring organization, Media Tenor, found that the #FMF hashtag generated nearly 1.3 million tweets during the last two weeks of October 2015; and that Twitter was the most used social media platform for the campaign. ”

Today, the movement still has a large presence in the space of youth and social media. These two case studies are just a few of digital media literacy's many positive effects on quality civic engagement. It is, however, imperative that one also looks at the importance of digital media literacy in this modern era to foster civic participation.

Understanding the use of digital media is straightforward. Individuals use digital platforms and tools to communicate, process information, and form a sense of identity and community around a particular cause. However, it is important that one also investigates the need for digital media literacy and its effects and search for what is required in digital media literacy and usage.

Over the past ten years, the rapid shift from an electronic to digital media culture has attracted attention from media studies researchers to theorize the impact of communication technology advances on media users. According to Van der Graaf and Livingstone, digital media literacy is the “ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages across various contexts.” 

The digital information that we have come to know and recognize plays a role in the socio-economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa and is no longer the literacy that we can simply define as the ability to read and write. 

These basic digital literacy principles go far beyond such actions due to the rapid advancement of media technology. Ondari-Okemwa further states that “digital literacies are essentially a set of academic and professional situated practices supported by diverse and changing technologies.” 

New skills are required for one to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and distribute messages within a global democratic society. Several practical factors are found in this chapter on why digital media literacy has declined quality civic engagement amongst youth. However, an additional aspect of the “digital gap” essentially plays a role. Blignaut notes that technological advances lack value if people do not have access to technology or “do not use it.” 

In a recent article,  Damilola Adeniran pointed out that a report by the International Telecommunication Union stated that more than two-thirds of Africa (75.6%) lacked access to the Internet. Since the beginning of the advancement in media technology, it has been noted that the lack of adequate competencies for digital media can have harmful effects on the distribution of news and information and hinder the progress of democracy or civil causes.

A case study on the adverse impacts of poor media literacy can be found in Kenya. A country with a vibrant media system, where there has been concern over the use of digital technology to deliberately spread false rumors and misinformation that may have served as a contributor to the 2007 post-election violence.

Another example could be used in the fight against COVID-19. Although several months have passed since the start of the global pandemic, media users, government, and media practitioners still battle to contain the spread of false health information in the context of a pandemic. 

Nic Fleming stated, "The rapid global spread of COVID- 19 has been accompanied by what the World Health Organization has described as a “massive infodemic.” The South African government has even released statements to warn the public of the dangers of spreading fake news and misinformation. In an article published by the South African government News Agency (SA News), the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation stated that “What complicates the fight against COVID-19 is that while people are facing the real threat of losing their lives, fake news and misinformation are causing them to be paranoid, and doubting the usefulness of vaccines and other public health interventions.”

It is clear, therefore, that the adequate understanding and use of digital media literacy for quality civic participation during a global pandemic such as this one has the potential to educate people in ways that help to lessen the spread of the virus, lower the mortality rates and even has the possibility of increasing chances of finding more affordable and accessible treatment and prevention of the virus, as well as an informed response to future pandemics.

In conclusion, the youth of this modern era are fortunate to be part of a time where communication tools can be used to spread messages, investigate, interpret, and create change. In this introductory text, we have explored how good digital media literacy has the potential to create and influence change, especially within the youth community. 

The Youth Café, as a well-established pan-African youth-serving and youth-led organization, has taken the initiative to develop a handbook that will educate and inform African youth and youth on a global scale about media literacy and civic participation. The organization has promoted its eight multi-perspective approaches to peace and security through digital media tools, preventing violent extremism, governance and political inclusion, and sexual reproductive health, among other themes. In doing so, we hope to be role players in contributing to change in youth civic engagement.