Digital Literacy and Social Trust: The Mediating Role of Civic Engagement among University Students

Abstract

Digital literacy has become increasingly important in strengthening social trust within higher education contexts, particularly through students’ active civic participation. This study aims to examine the influence of digital literacy on social trust among university students and to investigate the mediating role of civic engagement in this relationship. A quantitative explanatory approach with a cross-sectional design was employed involving 385 university students in Indonesia. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that digital literacy significantly influences civic engagement (β = 0.722, p < 0.001) and social trust (β = 0.238, p < 0.001), while civic engagement significantly enhances social trust (β = 0.612, p < 0.001). Furthermore, civic engagement functions as an important mechanism linking digital literacy and social trust. The study concludes that digital literacy contributes to social cohesion when transformed into meaningful civic participation. The findings imply that universities should integrate digital literacy education with civic engagement programs and digital citizenship initiatives to cultivate responsible and socially trusted digital citizens.