Edunity: Kajian Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan
Vol. 5 No. 10 (2026): Edunity: Social and Educational Studies

Participatory Social Media Education Builds Initial Digital Risk Awareness Among Adolescents

Agustinus Manfred Habur (Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng)
Margareta Sarina Lestari (Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng)
Godelivasia Andu (Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng)
Fridolin Laurensia Genjung (Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng)
Yeldi Ayu Setia (Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng)



Article Info

Publish Date
21 Oct 2026

Abstract

This community service article describes a social media literacy education program for adolescents and examines participants' immediate responses to educational materials addressing responsible digital participation. During the July–August 2026 thematic community service program organized by the Catholic University of Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng, social media literacy education was delivered to Grade XII students at SMAN 1 Poco Ranaka through presentations, visual materials, interactive discussions, and question-and-answer sessions. The educational content covered information verification, misinformation and hoaxes, cyberbullying, ethical online interactions, and productive social media use. A descriptive evaluation was conducted based on observations of participant engagement, questions raised during discussions, and participants' ability to recall and explain key educational messages. No control group or pretest–posttest assessment was employed. Participants demonstrated active engagement during discussions, particularly those addressing the identification of misinformation and hoaxes and the prevention of harmful social media practices. Activity records indicated that most participants were able to identify examples of digital risks and describe appropriate preventive measures following the educational session. These observations suggested initial comprehension and awareness of digital risks but did not establish measurable improvements in critical thinking or sustained changes in digital behavior. Brief, participatory social media literacy education may provide an initial foundation for developing adolescents awareness of digital risks and encouraging critical, ethical, and responsible online engagement. Future educational programs should incorporate practical fact-checking exercises, scenario-based cyberbullying prevention activities, and structured pretest–posttest assessments to evaluate learning outcomes more systematically and rigorously.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

Edunity

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Computer Science & IT Economics, Econometrics & Finance Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

Edunity: Kajian Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan is a double-blind, open-access peer-reviewed academic journal in social and educational fields. This journal is published monthly by PT. Publikasiku Academic Solution. Edunity: Kajian Ilmu Sosial dan Pendidikan provide a means for ongoing discussion of ...