Digital Security in Youth: The Salvadoran Case

Abstract

This manuscript provides a detailed account of the original findings from a research project on digital security in Salvadoran youth conducted in 2021 and published in 2022. This work falls within the action framework of the Media and Information Literacy Program "Alfabeta Media Lab," involving two Salvadoran universities. The research aims to understand the digital security practices and tools used by Salvadoran youth aged 16 to 24, identifying shortcomings that can inform future support and solutions. The methodology adopts a quantitative-qualitative approach, employing a questionnaire with a representative sample of 976 young individuals from both rural and urban areas across 13 of the 14 departments of the country, along with three focus groups consisting of 28 participants in total. The study's results underscore the importance of fostering digital security competencies within Media and Information Literacy to enhance critical thinking and responsible, active citizenship, promoting an ethical and contextually relevant approach to media products. Within this framework, digital security transcends mere technological instrumentality and becomes a practice with social consciousness.