Unequal media literacy in groups at risk of exclusion

Abstract

Media literacy is an essential tool for promoting good use of the Internet and breaking down social and cultural inequalities. Parental supervision and control over minors is essential to ensure that they can make the most of the Internet safely. However, not all citizens are in the same socio-demographic conditions, which is why this research aims to analyse whether the media literacy exercised by parents with children under the age of 14 varies according to variables that may exclude certain social groups. To achieve this purpose, the level of parental control (high, medium or low) is tested based on three independent variables: parents' level of education, their country of birth and their employment status. The results indicate that parents with a lower level of education or who are unemployed exercise a lower level of parental control over their children's surfing, which suggests that these children are more likely to be part of at-risk and excluded groups.