The information space is constantly changing. The advent of artificial intelligence has drastically transformed the internet reality. We are exposed to an overwhelming volume of information, from media to content on Social networks, without clear filters to distinguish what has been verified from what is manipulative.
Unfortunately, older generations did not have the opportunity to develop digital skills through the education system. As a result, they are often targets of disinformation, financial fraud and sensationalist content designed to provoke emotions (fear, health concerns, political uncertainty, and so on).
To help them become familiar with media literacy and understand how the media operate, who stands behind certain content, and why it is shown specifically to them, Europe House, in cooperation with Snežana Nikčević, organised a media literacy workshop for seniors at the Home for the elderly in Podgorica.
“A large number of elderly people feel that they are behind or that they have missed something. Through workshops of this kind, they see that they are not alone and that the questions they have are not trivial, but legitimate and important,” said Nikčević.
Through the joint analysis of specific examples such as fake news, suspicious prize draws, manipulative headlines and similar content, participants learned to recognise patterns.
This type of workshop, Nikčević adds, transforms a passive user into an active evaluator of content.
“Confidence comes from understanding. When you know how something works, it is less frightening,” Nikčević added.
During the workshop, participants also learned what it truly means to be an informed citizen, exchanged views and shared personal experiences with disinformation.
“An informed citizenry does not simply imply access to information, but also the ability to assess that information critically. If citizens cannot distinguish fact from opinion, or a professional media outlet from a propaganda channel, then the public sphere becomes easily abused,” Nikčević concluded.