Curiously, even though mankind enjoys an unprecedented access to information these days, finding the truth seems trickier than ever. In 2018, 10% out of the 400 thousand Polish children eligible for compulsory vaccinations were not immunized because their parents deemed the procedure harmful (Medonet.pl, “Efekt działania” A. Rojek-Kiełbasa, 13.02.2019). In the USA, one in six people doubt that the Earth is spherical and prefer the disc theory instead (YouGov, a 2018 survey on a sample group of 8000). The pre-referendum debate over Brexit and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign were filled with statements of, let’s say, questionable credibility and fraught will allegations of external influences. A closer look at the history of Cambridge Analytica – a company behind some of these scandals – suggests that similar tools could have been used to affect the outcome of “over 100 election campaigns in 32 countries on 5 continents” (forsal.pl, “Firma-matka Cambridge Analytica…”, 29.03.2018). Democratic societies are vulnerable to manipulation, for instance through voter profiling in social media or the spreading of conspiracy theories. Given the multiplicity of opinions, the lack of mechanisms for instant verification of information and the absence of long-standing, commonly accepted authority on a given subject, this has become a major problem. Brussels is well aware of it and has been ringing the alarm bell in recent years. Last year there were multiple reports urging European countries to protect themselves against Russian influences (www.theguardian.com, “Now is the time”, D. Boffey, 16.05.2019). At this very time, the European Parliament is trying to curb the spread of fake news on the coronavirus. This is the world that young people face upon entering adolescence. Unfortunately, schools are unprepared to help them navigate the maze of fake news, disinformation and manipulation of data. In Poland, there is no school curriculum that includes and combines competences needed to recognize the truth, verify data and assess its credibility. Young people lack the knowledge which is absolutely essential for them to make informed decisions about the future – their own and that of their families, countries or the EU as a whole. The Internet - particularly social media - tends to be their primary source of knowledge which makes it necessary for them to rely on somebody else’s selection of data and knowledge (and often opinions). The need to equip young people with tools to navigate the world of media, with all their diversity, complexity and importance for understanding the world around us, is urgent and dire. However, any action that is to be taken should be based on sound knowledge. So far, we have been unable to find proper, comprehensive research that identifies the scale of manipulation that the youth is exposed to or provides guidelines for policies to tackle fake news, disinformation etc. This is why we have made an examination of the issue our first priority. Under the proposed project, we are going to draft a report that will shed some light on how and to what extent young people’s view of the world is shaped by incorrect information or lack of awareness. We wish to find out how well the youth understands the world and whether it is equipped in competences it needs to gain such understanding. We will look at how different countries approach educating youngsters on how to use information. We will examine how effective are fact-checking organisations in addressing young people as a target group. Crucially, we need to find out whether (and if so, to what extent) the youth is aware of the problem itself. What kinds of manipulation can it recognise? Discussions on which topic are particularly fraught with fake news or distorted data? We will ask young people about their preferred ways of verifying information and learning how to detect disinformation. Finally, we will check whether educators and youth workers are prepared to guide the learners in an effort to find and correctly interpret credible data. The research will allow us to identify the key areas for future action: aspects and threats that need to be addressed, possible solutions. The report, containing statistics, conclusions and guidelines, including ideas for activities to be used by youth workers and educators. The publication will be disseminated among stakeholders in the youth sector. Partner organisations will have a chance to develop a series of further undertakings in this area. he ultimate goal is to contribute to the construction of a more educated, aware society, capable of exercising its liberties and making wise use of the democratic framework. The project is meant to instigate a debate over how to fill a competence gap which is quickly becoming a substantial threat to the fundamental tenets of democracy itself. Let’s begin with the most logical step - by gaining a better understanding of the issue.
The main outcome: a research report consists of two surveys (among young people and their trainers or guardians), in-depth focus group interviews with young people, interviews with managers of educational institutions or informal education organizations, interviews with decision-makers, and analysis of documents and content related to policies, programs, and initiatives conducted in a given country as well as at the EU level. The second outcome is 5 video publications for the internet concerning the findings from the research. Additionally, we have planned, among other things: increasing the thematic knowledge of organizations participating in the project, understanding the real situation of young people in the mentioned context, their awareness of the problem, threats, and possibilities of counteraction, understanding the awareness of trainers, educators, and guardians of young people, determining the scale of support received by: young people, youth workers, institutions, organizations, or institutions, popularizing the topic of fake news, manipulation, or disinformation raising awareness of the need for youth and youth workers education in this area, creating demand for the implementation of systemic solutions.
In our application's introduction, we underscored the unprecedented breadth of information access and the intricate nature of discerning truth. Discussions encompassed defending democracy, countering Russian influences, combating COVID-19 misinformation, and addressing the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Despite this, young adults lack formal education in navigating fake news, disinformation, and data manipulation, essential for making informed decisions about their futures and societal issues. Our project aims to instill a democratic mindset among youth, grounded in comprehensive knowledge and critical thinking, to establish robust foundations for a united Europe. Through collaboration with EU partners, we aspire to develop innovative solutions to address these challenges across the EU, leveraging diverse approaches and varying starting conditions to achieve impactful outcomes. This concerted effort seeks to empower the next generation with the tools and awareness needed to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape and uphold democratic values in a unified Europe.