The New Homo Sapiens and Media Literacy in the Digital Age

Vol. 4 | No. 1 | October 2025
Demush Bajrami
Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Languages, Culture and Communication at South East European University

Abstract

In the context of the increasing digital integration into daily life, this paper examines the emergence of the ‘New Homo Sapiens’, an individual shaped by continuous media engagement and evolving communication practices.It further explores how this shift influences identity, cognition, and social behavior, alongside examining the role of media literacy in facilitating individuals’ adaptation to the challenges of contemporary digital life. Accordingly, the research adopts a conceptual approach grounded in interdisciplinary perspectives, drawing from media ecology and digital literacy studies. A qualitative review of existing findings, supported by evidence from the Western Balkans’ educational context (North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania), leads to the conclusion that the readily accessible information and new forms of expression have introduced both benefits and challenges into the learning domain. Therefore, the region’s educational models should integrate media literacy as a central element to cultivate critical thinking skills, ensure ethical media engagement, and foster digital citizenship among the digitally shaped, New Homo Sapien.

Keywords: New Homo Sapiens, Media Interaction, Identity, Social Behavior, Educational Models, Critical Thinking, Digital Citizenship.

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