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: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Target Audience
Population: Elementary and secondary school students
Estimated Size: 56000000
- The bill targets elementary and secondary school students, focusing on their education in digital citizenship and media literacy.
- Elementary and secondary school students globally include millions of children within this educational range.
- The goal is to educate them on safely accessing and evaluating digital content, impacting their lives as they grow up in an increasingly digital world.
- Media literacy and digital citizenship skills will become more essential as technology and media content grow in influence.
Reasoning
- Our simulated individuals come from a range of demographics including students directly impacted by the policy as well as adults who are indirectly affected, such as parents and teachers.
- Since the policy is educational, we included individuals spanning from students who will directly benefit, to educators who will implement the programs, and parents concerned about their children's education.
- The estimated target of the policy covers approximately 56 million elementary and secondary students in the US, so the majority of our simulated individuals focus on this demographic or those closely associated with them.
- We focused on both urban and rural populations since access to digital literacy resources can vary greatly based on geographic location.
- The budget constraints imply that not all educational institutions can benefit at once, influencing our decision to model both those immediately impacted and those who may not see change immediately.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's important to understand how to use the internet safely.
- Sometimes it's hard to know what's true online.
- Learning more in school about this sounds good to me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Middle School Student (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 12 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've heard about fake news but don't know much about it.
- The only time I use computers is at school.
- If we learned more about tech, it might help us when we grow up.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
High School Senior (Chicago, IL)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Understanding digital literacy is crucial especially with online political movements.
- Current education lacks enough focus on digital ethics.
- This policy seems like it could add important tools for our future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
High School Teacher (New York, NY)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Students struggle with evaluating sources online.
- Having more resources to teach media literacy is beneficial.
- I'm hopeful about the changes this policy could bring, if funded well.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Librarian (Austin, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The library plays a huge role in educating on digital literacy.
- We often lack funding for comprehensive programs.
- This policy might address these gaps and support better resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Elementary School Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 9 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like learning new fun things with my tablet.
- Sometimes I don't know what to click on.
- It would be cool if school taught us more about what I can trust on the internet.
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 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Parent, Factory Worker (Detroit, MI)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I want my kids to know more about using technology safely.
- We don't have much tech at home, so school teaching this would be great.
- I hope this policy helps give kids better skills than I have.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
School Administrator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our school needs more resources for digital education.
- Finding funding has always been difficult, I hope this program resolves some of that.
- If implemented well, this could greatly benefit our students.
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 | 8 | 7 |
High School Student (Charlotte, NC)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There are a lot of scams and fake stuff online.
- Learning how to spot them would be helpful.
- My school has some classes, but not enough focused on this.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Tech Entrepreneur (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Digital literacy is foundational for future success.
- Policies supporting media literacy strengthen our workforce.
- It's imperative this policy gets implemented effectively to bridge literacy gaps.
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 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $90000000 (Low: $70000000, High: $110000000)
Year 2: $120000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $140000000)
Year 3: $140000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $170000000)
Year 5: $160000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $200000000)
Year 10: $200000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $250000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Access and equity in grant distribution could affect the coverage and impact across different regions.
- The ongoing evolution of digital platforms might require updates in educational content development.
- Budget allocation must be scrutinized to ensure the grants are directed towards impactful educational resources and programs.