Project
Visualizing digital world
Duration
01.04.2024-31.08.2024
Donor
European Union
Konrad Adenauer foundation’s Armenian branch
Implementer
All for Equal Rights Foundation (ARF)
Goal
The goal of the project is to contribute to increasing the level of awareness on media literacy and cyber security, as well as to develop critical thinking and data analysis skills for responsible and safe use of digital technologies among young people aged 16-22 in Gyumri.
Context
In the digital age, the society, in particular, the young people, are constantly more and more exposed to the negative influence of the Internet. Without media literacy skills, young people are not able to think critically and analyze information, resulting in:
- The uncontrolled spread of misinformation and fake news: young people easily believe unverified information, which can have negative consequences for the quality of their personal lives, the formation of behavioral characteristics in adolescence, and the potential effects of cyberbullying and safety in the digital environment. In the absence of resistance to misinformation, citizens make uninformed decisions, give in to manipulations, which in turn promotes the weakening of democracy and the destabilization of internal information and public relations.
- Increased vulnerability to malicious websites and media traps: young people can become victims of cyberbullying, fraud, challenge games, gambling, identity theft and other online threats. Very often young people are targeted by hackers, taking into account their age and psychological characteristics. Creating a safer online environment is a serious challenge, overcoming which can have a significant impact in the context of improving the situation.
- Irresponsible use of digital technologies. Young people can spend too much time on social media, which can have a negative impact on their health, learning and socialization, while they can use media to generate ideas, recruit like-minded people and implement initiatives at the community level.
According to the data of “Freedom of Speech and Media Consumption in Armenia” research (September 2023), only 39% of respondents have the ability to separate facts from opinions and identify manipulative actions of the media, which suggests that a significant part of the population is subject to media manipulation and target or even a victim of fake news. On the other hand, it is necessary to understand what percentage of positive respondents to the survey are able to separate it in practice.
The rapid advancement of technology around the world and the ever-evolving nature of digital media present ongoing challenges to online safety and responsible digital behavior. Media and information literacy in Armenia, in particular, is globally below average. Disinformation flows, mushroom websites, fake news generated on a daily basis, propaganda, the influence of artificial intelligence play a significant role in these processes.
As a result of media literacy trainings, young people will be able to distinguish credible media from unreliable one, answer the five questions of news, separate facts from opinion, apply critical approaches to media consumption. And as a result of a detailed study of the topic of cyber security, participants will be able to: develop strong and secure passwords, activate two-step security and implement two-step authentication, protect personal data from unnecessary interference or leakage, and avoid cyberbullying and media traps.
Objectives
The main objectives of the project implementation, which will contribute to the realization of the goal, are as follows:
- Development of educational modules: development of educational modules for thematic courses and collection of materials.
- Organization of educational process: organize and implement three courses with four groups of beneficiaries in order to develop media and digital literacy, in which about 48 young people will participate.
- Online campaign implementation: develop and implement an online public awareness campaign using visual newspapers.
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The “Youth in Action: Youth Empowerment and Leadership Development in Armenia” Project is a co-funded initiative by the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) implemented together with the World Vision Armenia (WVA), Media Initiatives Center (MIC), and Gyumri “Youth Initiatives Centre” (YIC).
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ARF and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
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