Buddhist Principles, Media Literacy, and Positive Online Traits Among Buddhist University Students in Thailand: A Quantitative Study

Napasri  Suwanajote; Smitthinun  Thairoongrojana

ผู้แต่ง

Napasri Suwanajote Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Suan Sunanda Rajabhat University
Smitthinun Thairoongrojana College of Communication Arts, Suan Sunanda Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom Campus

คำสำคัญ:

Buddhist principles, media literacy, online traits, digital citizenship, Trisikkha, Buddhist university students, Thailand

บทคัดย่อ

This study investigated the relationships between Buddhist principles (Sila, Samadhi, and Panna), media literacy competency, and positive online traits among Buddhist university students in Thailand. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 359 undergraduate students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU), Khon Kaen Campus. Instruments included validated scales for Buddhist principled living (Trisikkha scale), media literacy (adapted from the NAMLE framework), and positive online traits including respectful communication, online empathy, and resistance to misinformation. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were employed for analysis. Results revealed that all three Buddhist principles significantly and positively correlated with both media literacy (r = .48–.59) and positive online traits (r = .44–.55). Multiple regression analysis indicated that Panna (wisdom discernment) was the strongest predictor of media literacy (Beta = .34, p < .001) and positive online traits (Beta = .33, p < .001), followed by Samadhi (mindfulness concentration) and Sila (moral conduct). The combined model explained 41% of variance in media literacy and 37% in positive online traits. Daily social media usage showed a modest negative association with all study variables. Findings suggest that Buddhist education integrating the Trisikkha framework can effectively cultivate digital citizenship competencies relevant to contemporary media environments.

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