Digital Empathy and Media Literacy of Undergraduate Students in Roi Et Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to 1) study digital empathy 2) study media literacy 3) compare the amount of time spent using online media with digital empathy and media literacy and 4) study the relationship between digital empathy and media literacy among undergraduate students in Roi Et Province. This research is a quantitative research which employ a questionnaire as a tool, the sample group consisted of 389 undergraduate students in Roi Et Province, selected using convenient sampling. Inferential statistical analysis included One-way ANOVA and relationship analysis using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results of the study found that when classifying each aspect of digital empathy, the sample group had the highest mean score on the empathic concern scale with an average score of 2.65 followed by the perspective-taking scale with an average score of 2.43 followed by the fantasy scale with an average score of 2.36 and the personal distress scale with an average score of 2.29, the sample group had a moderate media literacy score, average daily social media usage among the sample group resulted in significant difference at 0.05 in media literacy scores, sample group's different amounts of average daily social media usage had no difference in digital empathy. Digital empathy had no relationship with media literacy. Results from the research can be used to develop digital empathy indicators and guidelines for developing digital empathy.