Assessment of Media Literacy Competencies of Young Media Consumers in Pakistan

This cross-sectional research work was carried out to assess the media literacy competencies of the youth of Pakistan. A self-reported survey questionnaire was developed, consisting of 21 items, to measure the media literacy competencies. A sample of 554 youths took part in this study.  Cross-tabulation of the overall media literacy score and gender depicted that there is no major difference among the participants based on their gender. Whereas youngsters with education levels between intermediate to bachelor's degree scored better on the scale as compared to the rest of the respondents. Overall levels of media literacy competencies of the youths are good but there is a need to improve their critical understanding of the media 'texts'