Media competence involves the mastery of knowledge, skills and attitudes oriented to the production, management, and analysis of media content with and from different environments that promote critical thinking. This article gathers the findings of a research conducted in four countries -Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Bolivia- where a quantitative measurement instrument of media competence was applied to a sample of 1,730 undergraduate students from eight universities. The research was limited to two social networks, YouTube, and Instagram, where user participation acquires greater relevance. The results indicate that in the use of these social networks there is a predominance of colloquial language and a limited production of content, focused on entertainment and personal tastes. At the same time, however, there is a growing use linked to learning, of an informal nature, through the ...