<![CDATA[Digital literacy has become an essential competency for primary school learners as classrooms increasingly integrate internet-based resources, e-learning platforms, and interactive multimedia tools. Numerous scholars have investigated its relationship with critical thinking, yet the accumulated evidence remains fragmented across differing measurement instruments, cultural contexts, and mediating variables. This study conducted a systematic literature review examining digital literacy and critical thinking among primary and elementary school students, guided by the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Twenty-five peer-reviewed articles published between 2021 and 2026, sourced from Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Springer, and DOAJ databases, were screened, appraised, and synthesized. Findings indicate a consistent, statistically significant positive association between digital literacy and critical thinking skills, with self-efficacy, learning motivation, teacher digital competence, parental involvement, and problem-based or technology-integrated pedagogies emerging as key mediating and moderating factors. The review further identifies a novelty gap: most existing studies rely on cross-sectional, single-country designs and rarely examine how cultural and religious educational contexts, such as Islamic elementary schools, shape the digital literacy-critical thinking relationship. This review contributes an integrative conceptual model linking digital literacy dimensions to critical thinking indicators and offers pedagogical and policy recommendations for strengthening digital-based critical thinking instruction in primary education, particularly within developing-country and faith-based schooling systems]]>
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