MEDIA LITERACY AND PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

Abstract

The need for the development of media literacy among preschool children is justified based on statistics that clearly show that they start accessing the Internet earlier and earlier, as well as that their presence on social media increases continuously. The statistics show that 63.8% of the world's population were social media users till October 2024, and Europe has the highest percentage (98%) of internet users aged 15 24, among regions worldwide. This article takes into consideration media literacy using its classical definition, adding to its much more recent understanding, due to the rapid technological development. It also argues that media literacy development should find its proper place in preschool education as its formation could directly address the challenges faced by children in the contemporary media environment and digital culture. The article also tries to trace the dynamics of the relationship between media literacy and media pedagogy. This field has undergone considerable development in the last two decades due to the accelerated implementation of information and communication technologies and their widespread usage by all age groups and in all spheres of life, including in the field of preschool education. Last but not least the article sheds light and offers examples of how media literacy can be integrated into preschool education given on the one hand the directives prescribed by the state regulation in Bulgaria, and on the other, the concrete ways this literacy can be imbedded in the various preschool educational fields.