Promoting Digital Literacy among Adolescents through Ciamis Local Stories: Insights from the 2024 Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa (PKM)

Abstract

The issue of digital technology has reshaped the way adolescents access and engage in learning, positioning digital literacy as an essential skill for today’s generation. This technological shift is linked to a decline in adolescents’ exposure to local literature, particularly among adolescents in Ciamis, West Java, which is rooted in their own cultural heritage. Limited research has explored how integrating Ciamis local stories into digital media can simultaneously cultivate adolescents’ digital literacy and preserve local cultural values; previous studies have examined digital literacy and local literature-based learning separately. This research has investigated how presenting Ciamis local stories (Situ Panjalu, Ciung Wanara, and Astana Gede Kawali) through e-books and videos contributes to promoting adolescents’ digital literacy and their understanding of local cultural values. This research employed a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and participant observation with 15 adolescent participants from the Youth Literacy Community. The data were analyzed through Miles and Huberman’s (1994) interactive model. Indicated in the results of analysis are: (1) adolescents demonstrate consistent progress in knowledge, digital competencies, participation, and comprehension of Ciamis local stories when engaged with digital media; (2) interactive activities and connecting stories to everyday experiences encouraged critical reflection and sustained motivation and interest, while challenges still existed; and (3) the integration of Ciamis local stories into digital media proved effective in bridging technical literacy with cultural preservation. It is concluded that several challenges were identified; this research nevertheless offers significant contributions in theoretical and practical insight into how Ciamis local stories can be meaningfully adapted into digital media to serve participants’ digital literacy development, cultural awareness, and motivation to learn.