Bill Overview
Title: Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act
Description: This bill directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to award grants to state and local educational agencies, public libraries, and qualified nonprofit organizations to develop and promote media literacy and digital citizenship education for elementary and secondary school students. Media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions based on information obtained from media and digital sources. Digital citizenship includes the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world.
Sponsors: Rep. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI-8]
Target Audience
Population: People in educational systems including students, teachers, and educational content providers
Estimated Size: 70000000
- The bill focuses on media literacy and digital citizenship education, which are particularly relevant for school-age children who are growing up in a digital world.
- By targeting educational agencies and public libraries, the act aims to implement programs and resources that directly affect a large population of students in elementary and secondary schools.
- Incorporating media literacy and digital citizenship education into schools would indirectly also impact teachers and educational content providers as they re-evaluate curricula to include these concepts.
- Parents and guardians of affected children would also be indirectly impacted as they may need to adjust to supporting their children's educations in these new areas.
Reasoning
- The policy targets mainly the educational sector, so students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools will be key populations, as they will directly engage with the new curriculum changes.
- By using grants effectively within the $500 million dollar budget in year 1, the initiative will be able to reach a significant portion of the estimated 70 million Americans directly involved in education.
- To ensure broad representation, individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds and geographic locations have been included among the interviewees.
- Some people, such as parents or librarians, are indirectly affected through their interactions with students and changes in educational resource allocations, yet they still form part of the broader support circle.
- Not all individuals may perceive a direct benefit from the policy, especially if the implementation is not seamless or equitable across different regions.
Simulated Interviews
student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think learning more about how to check what's true on the internet is really important.
- I'm excited for these new lessons, especially because I spend so much time online.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
middle school teacher (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Integrating media literacy into the curriculum will be a challenge but it's crucial in today's world.
- I hope we'll receive the necessary resources and training.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
public librarian (Houston, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This initiative could strengthen our library's role as a community hub for learning new skills.
- I'm concerned about whether our library will get enough of the funding to keep up with demand.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
parent and software engineer (Boston, MA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad my kids will learn these skills formally at school instead of just from me.
- It might take time for the changes to show tangible results.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
college student studying communications (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I missed this new initiative by a couple of years, but I'm excited for future students.
- Hopefully, there’s outreach to those of us already in college.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
curriculum developer (New York, NY)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill opens up exciting possibilities for curriculum developers.
- We’ll need clear guidelines on what successful media literacy education looks like.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
retired teacher (Jackson, MS)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems like a step in the right direction, though I’m less directly involved now.
- I hope it’s implemented well so more kids can benefit.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
elementary school principal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's crucial for our students to be able to navigate media safely; I’m optimistic.
- The challenge will be ensuring equitable access to resources across schools.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
software developer (Portland, OR)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Digital citizenship is key for kids today—I’m glad they’ll have access to structured learning.
- Tech is a powerful tool, and responsible use must be taught early on.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
non-profit program manager (Miami, FL)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We are eager to apply for grants to enhance our digital citizenship workshops.
- This policy will immensely aid under-resourced communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $550000000 (Low: $450000000, High: $650000000)
Year 3: $600000000 (Low: $500000000, High: $700000000)
Year 5: $650000000 (Low: $550000000, High: $750000000)
Year 10: $700000000 (Low: $600000000, High: $800000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The program's success will depend on effective implementation and uptake by educational agencies.
- State and local variability may necessitate tailored program components, impacting cost.
- Technology infrastructure demands in underserved regions could affect budget allocations.
- Potential indirect benefits include improved societal engagement and workforce readiness via enhanced media literacy.