Algorithmic Awareness in Italy: A Critical Policy Framework to Enhance Algorithmic Literacy

The algorithmic literacy is gaining an increasing relevance in the policy and institutional framework about media and digital literacy, even since an approach oriented to the enhancement of civic engagement and citizens’ capacity to fully participate in the democratic life in this field has become more and more relevant. At the same time, media literacy scholars have adopted a multi-faceted approach towards this area of competence considering different sub-dimensions and taking into account an user-centric perspective. Through this paper, the main results of a survey about media and digital literacy needs among the Italian population will be analysed, with specific reference to the knowledge and awareness of content recommendation algorithms used by major online platforms, as well as their ability to perform specific actions such as curating content via algorithms and reporting content on algorithmic platforms. The contribution will present the main findings of such analysis, considering the different age groups and other socio-demographic and media use variables, even proposing a specific algorithmic literacy index. Over half of the Italian population aged 14 years and over is aware of the role of content recommendation algorithms on online platforms, with peaks among young adults and lows among older adults. Awareness correlates positively with education level and daily internet use. Around 70% of aware users view algorithms as enhancing their experience, though preference declines with age. Just under half the population is aware of content personalization and reporting tools; such awareness is higher among young adults, frequent Internet users, and those with higher education. Four-fifths of people aware of these opportunities report using at least a curation tool, while about two-thirds use at least a reporting one. Based on the proposed five-levels index, over one-third of Italians have no algorithmic literacy, while only 7% reach an excellent level. While the share of older minors with excellent algorithmic literacy is only slightly exceeding the general average, only one-sixth of older adults possesses at least a fair level of algorithmic literacy. Higher literacy levels are concentrated among young adults and users who engage in a broader and more varied range of online activities. Therefore, the contribution will conclude with some recommendations taking into account some key data regarding both the algorithmic awareness and the use of curation and reporting tools. In particular, some possible actions to enhance the level of algorithmic literacy across different groups of population will be discussed and the role of policymakers will be problematised.