.png)
Although California is home to many of the world’s largest social media and AI companies, little is known about how media literacy is taught in its K-12 schools. This mixed-methods study examined how California educators value media and AI literacy education and how widely they believe it reaches students.
Between September 2025 and February 2026, 185 educators from 127 zip codes completed an adapted version of the Media Literacy Implementation Index, and 14 educators took part in semi-structured interviews. Respondents rated the importance of media and AI literacy at a mean of 8.4 out of 10, with 74% rating it 8 or higher. However, they estimated that 21 core instructional practices reach only about half of their students (mean 5.3), a statistically significant gap of 3.1 points (t(178) = 19.55, p < .001).
Every practice scored below the mean importance rating. Creating and analyzing media received the highest reach estimates, while instruction on the business of media, algorithms and AI personalization, and balancing online and offline life received the lowest. Opposition to media literacy did not emerge as a theme; instead, educators identified structural needs: curriculum guidance (37%), professional development (28%), funding and resources (23%), and time (12%). Interviewees also raised concerns that voluntary implementation risks widening inequities between well-resourced and under-resourced districts.
A case study of AB 2071, California’s 2026 digital wellness education law, illustrates both progress and the limits of current policy. The report offers seven policy recommendations and calls for a representative statewide study. Findings are limited by a non-representative snowball sample and reliance on self-report.