EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEW MEDIA LITERACY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG YOUNG ADULT IN PERLIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1163008Keywords:
Media Literacy, New Media, Psychological Well-Being, Perlis, Young AdultAbstract
Skills in New Media Literacy (NML) are considered essential in the 21st century. However, the existing literature has yet to sufficiently address whether the younger generation can effectively apply critical thinking to distinguish between accurate and misleading information on social media, despite being among its most active users. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between New Media Literacy (NML), social media usage, and psychological well-being among Malaysian youth aged 15 to 24, with a specific focus on those residing in Perlis. Adopting a quantitative research approach, data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. This study utilizes simple random sampling technique in respondent selection and a total of 110 respondents participated in this study. The analysis examined the correlations between four dimensions of NML which are Functional Consuming, Critical Consuming, Functional Prosuming, Critical Prosuming and levels of psychological well-being. The findings indicate that Malaysian youth demonstrate high levels of both new media literacy and psychological well-being. A statistically significant correlation was observed between NML and psychological well-being, except for the Functional Consuming dimension, which did not show a significant relationship. This study underscores the importance of cultivating critical and responsible media engagement among youth as a means to enhance their psychological well-being.
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