From Protection to Participation: A Systematic Literature Review of the Shift in Media Literacy Theory from Classical to Digital Eras

Abstract

This SLR (systematic literature review) integrates peer-reviewed theoretical and empirical research and characterizes the transition in theory of media literacy from the classical media age (1960s-1990s) to today’s digital period (2000-2025). In accordance with the PRISMA framework, a systematic search was conducted on four different scholarly outlets (ERIC, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Scopus, and Google Scholar) between the years 1970-2025. Initially, of 1247 records, 42 theoretical and longitudinal publications satisfied inclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis was employed to grasp key theoretical dimensions. The review isolates five main axes of theoretical shift: (1) inoculation and protection to empowering and participatory stance; (2) linear critique of message to modules of algorithmic and platform cognizance; (3) individual level of cognition to socio-cultural, situated literacies; (4) static text to fluid, user generated and multimodal content; (5) key skills in relation to competence in networked media to critical digital citizenship. There exists a dearth of literature probing into classical-to-digital theoretical shift in media literacy as a coherent paradigmatic transition, which this SLR attempts to study explicitly. The paper concludes with an integrated model bridging legacy and emerging frameworks.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.65525/SVUP.9788199963313.2026.97-111