Religious Studies of the Media

Religious Studies of the Media

Analysis of Social Media Literacy Models as a New Paradigm of Media Literacy with a Focus on Examining the SoMeLit and SMILE Models

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Nasibeh Pouti
Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering and Information Technology Department, Technical and Engineering Faculty, Seyed Jamaluddin Asadabadi University, Asadabad, Hamadan, Iran
10.22034/jmrs.2024.209281
Abstract
Objective: With the emergence of social media, which has led to the application of Web 2.0 constructs in media, the manner of using these media and the user-generated content has become a significant concern for societies. Utilizing potentials and avoiding harms necessitates the establishment and application of a concept known as social media literacy. The aim of this research is to explore the concepts, dimensions, and models of social media literacy. 
Research Methodology: In this study, social literacy and social media literacy are first examined. Then, all models of social media literacy identified and analyzed over the past two decades are discussed, utilizing two practical and valid models, SoMeLit and SMILE, for precise conceptualization of social media literacy. 
 
Findings: The findings indicate that in the last two decades, social media literacy models have included the integrated multidimensional model of Faf and Rüdiger, the SDT autonomy model, the skill and process-oriented model of Festl, the CSML and PSML models of Tamplin, the SoMeLit model, the SMILE model, and the Habz model, which have been created and employed to describe the static structure and dynamic process of social media literacy. 
Discussion and Conclusion: Social media literacy models seek to create skills for decoding, evaluating, and establishing communication in the realms of representation and interaction by examining cognitive and emotional structures through various approaches, affirming their role in selecting and engaging with social media content. 
Keywords
Media literacy
social media literacy
SoMeLit model
SMILE model
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Religious Studies of the Media
Volume 6, Issue 22
Summer 2024
Pages 1-44