Media Literacy and Infoxication in Journalism Students: A Latin American Study

What is it?

This article analyzes the digital consumption habits and media competencies of journalism students from Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. According to Romero-Rodríguez and Aguaded, these students face infoxication—a cognitive overload caused by excess information, mostly trivial or misleading, with little educational value.

Why is it important?

The main findings reveal that despite high daily internet usage, these students struggle to filter relevant information, lack formal media training, and rely on self-taught strategies for navigating digital ecosystems. This creates a risk of structural disinformation, even among future journalists.

How is it applied?

Using a quantitative survey of 1,603 students, the study assesses:

• Internet usage patterns

• Types of content consumed and shared

• Level of critical review before dissemination

• Perceived need and exposure to media literacy education

Key Findings: From Overuse to Misinformation

1. Hyperconnection and Multitasking

• 74.7% of students use the internet over 5 hours daily

• 81.3% of women exceed that threshold

• 68.2% multitask online—accessing information while attending classes or engaging in other activities

2. Low Content Engagement

• 86.2% don’t fully read articles on websites

• 72% only read summaries before sharing on social media

• Students aged 16–19 are the least critical readers, with 98.6% skimming content

3. Trivial and Pseudoinformation

• 58.6% of received content is viral lists or entertainment

• Only 13.4% is useful news or relevant information

• Preference is given to celebrity gossip over academic topics

Media Literacy Gaps

• 87.6% never received formal training in media consumption

• Of those who did, most were from Colombia

• 72.3% learned media skills autonomously

• 81.3% believe professionals should teach media diets

Students believe such training should begin in:

• Primary school: 32.3%

• Secondary school: 23.4%

• University: 21.7%

FAQs

What is infoxication?
It’s information overload—when excessive content consumption impairs cognitive processing and decision-making.

Why is this dangerous for future journalists?
Because it makes them vulnerable to disinformation, reducing their ability to discern useful from misleading content.

How can this be addressed?
Through early media literacy education, structured “info-diets,” and training in critical digital skills.

Final Thoughts

This study shows that even digital natives can fall victim to media illiteracy, overexposure, and misinformation. Among journalism students, this creates a worrying paradox: those meant to inform society are themselves unprepared for today’s digital media landscape.

As the authors conclude, media education must start early and continue through higher education to foster responsible digital citizens—and trustworthy future journalists.