"Exploring the link between digital literacy and safety among Kenyan ch" by Collins Orono Etyang

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism (MADJ)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Peter Kimani

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Leah Komen

Department

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Abstract

Digital literacy is widely viewed as a key component in safeguarding online safety among children. For children to be safe online, they ought to be aware of the dangers and opportunities existing in the digital space. Therefore, they ought to possess the ability to make critical decisions about the kind of content that they encounter online. The objectives of this study were to examine the type and level of digital literacy among Kenyan children, to determine the link between digital literacy and digital safety among Kenyan children, and to identify barriers to effective digital literacy training among children in Kenya. The theories of Digital Literacy, the cultivation theory of media and communication, the theory of social cognition developed by Albert Bandura, and the Media Literacy theories guided this study. A quantitative research approach and a comparative research design were employed to investigate the link between digital literacy and digital safety. A sample size of two sets of 32 children between the ages of 12 to 14 and 12 to 17 was identified, one set comprising 16 children who have undergone digital literacy training and another comprising those who have not. A similar questionnaire was administered to both respondents to gauge how they would respond to the questions. The study targeted children who have undergone the Mtoto News Digital literacy training programme and those who have not undergone the training. The study found that children who have undergone digital literacy training are less likely to be harmed in the digital space compared to their untrained counterparts. The study also found TikTok to be the most consumed social media platform, followed by Instagram and Facebook. Children with digital literacy training were also found to possess strong skills in setting strong passwords and setting up two-factor authentication as a precautionary measure for their online safety. Additionally, the study found out that children without Digital literacy training could identify what fake news is.

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