The effect of the new media literacy level on the perception of trust in social media

This research presents an investigation focusing on the increasing importance and impact of social media literacy in our daily lives, aiming to understand the influence of individuals' media literacy skills on their perceptions of trust in social media. The study initially defines the concept of new media literacy, evaluating information access, content evaluation, critical thinking, effective communication, and ethical content creation skills under the headings of functional consumption, critical consumption, functional production, and critical production. It also examines the history, scope, and dimensions of media literacy. Next, the research reviews studies on credibility in social media, evaluating factors such as source reliability, information credibility, information presentation, and tool reliability that contribute to the formation of trust perception in social media. The study was conducted using a survey method with the participation of 562 students from Generation Z, measuring the participants' demographic information, level of new media literacy, and trust perceptions towards media. The findings of the research indicate that individuals with higher levels of new media literacy tend to have more trust in social media. However, the study did not find any correlation between the participants' demographic information (class, faculty, parents' education, geographical characteristics) and their levels of social media literacy or trust in media. The research concludes that contemporary new media literacy education and theorization reinforce the perception of trust, leading to increased usage of new media. When history of media education is examined, it can be observed that media education took its foundations from liberal approaches and even though it tried to incorporate critical thinking into its system, it simplified and reduced the critical perspective. The current new media literacy education is a structure that encourages both media consumption and production. Higher levels of literacy lead to increased social media usage, allowing capitalist power centers to reproduce themselves through social media. Therefore, new media literacy education needs to be restructured, focusing on critical thinking and technological advancements. Creating a new media literacy education program that empowers individuals and societies should be supported not only by dominant corporate structures but also by universities, various oppositional organizations, and social movements. Key Words: new media, new media literacy, social media literacy, perception of credibility, media credibility, media trust