“The digital crossroads: Media literacy and the future of youth online” | PLOS Digital Health (Publication)
Co-Author and Thought Partner: Kendall Bryant
Quick Overview
In this peer-reviewed article, we investigated how youth today navigate the digital sphere — especially examining the paradox of emotional literacy, digital agency, and wellbeing. The work applied systems thinking to youth media habits, analyzing how platforms, algorithms, and youth identities intersect to affect health, belonging, and civic engagement.
Context & Background
The article situates itself at a moment when digital immersion is nearly universal among young people, yet rising rates of anxiety, isolation, algorithmic manipulation and emotional fatigue raise questions about wellbeing, agency, and civic formation. PLOS Drawing on systems theory, media literacy scholarship, and youth studies, the piece argues that youth media literacy must be understood as a systems intervention in digital-health ecosystems.
My Role & Tools Used
As co-author, I:
Conceptualized the research question and framework in collaboration with my co-author.
Curated and analyzed data around youth digital behaviors, media literacy, systems effects, and wellbeing impacts.
Translated complex systems theory and digital-health models into accessible narrative and scholarly form for publication in PLOS Digital Health.
Presented findings at Digital Health Week to an interdisciplinary audience of researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers.
Tools and methodologies used:
Systems theory (e.g., Donella Meadows)
Qualitative analysis and media literacy frameworks
Scholarly publication process in open-access digital-health journal
Academic presentation design and stakeholder engagement
Impact & Learnings
Publishing in PLOS Digital Health and presenting at Digital Health Week deepened my conviction that youth wellbeing and digital culture cannot be treated as separate silos—they are part of the same systems. The work reaffirmed that media literacy is not just an educational goal, but a health systems lever. It sharpened my skill in bridging youth voice, systems thinking, and policy-relevant dissemination.
