SOCIAL MEDIA’S NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

written by ALEKS NAKOVIKJ, North Macedonia

INTRODUCTION Social media is a revolutionary internet platform that has drastically altered people’s perceptions of the world and has become an integral part of our society. As technology evolves and expands, social media is becoming an essential tool for daily social interaction. The fact that nearly 2.65 billion people use social media on the internet… Continue reading SOCIAL MEDIA’S NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH







Critical Thinking in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

written by Azra Tapuškić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

As Generative AI (GenAI) becomes a standard “colleague” in our workflows, the primary threat to critical thinking is no longer misinformation alone, but cognitive offloading. This phenomenon occurs when we delegate the “productive struggle” of reasoning to an algorithm, leading to what researchers now call “metacognitive laziness”.



Navigating the Mental Health Landscape for Youth in North Macedonia:
Challenges and Pathways to Support

written by CID, North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, the landscape of mental health among young people reflects a dynamic interplay of societal, economic, and individual factors. While the country boasts cultural richness and historical significance, the challenges surrounding youth mental health persist, demanding comprehensive attention and proactive measures to support the well-being of its younger generation.



WBYCP presented the main recommendations for improving economic challenges of youth in the region

INFO, European Western Balkans

For the past decade, the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) has been bringing together young leaders, aged between 18 and 35 years, from all over the world to engage in lively discussion and develop innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global issues.



Finland: The land of libraries

written by Slađana Ribać, Serbia

Finnish library services for children and young adults are an integral part of Finnish society, education and societal life. After World War II, Finland started a rapid rise towards being a modern nation. Reading as a pastime hobby gained popularity, there were more education possibilities, the level of education was on the rise and young people spent more years in school instead of starting to work early…



For women’s right to abortion

written by Ksenija Petrović, Serbia

In 2021 a young Polish woman, Izabela, was admitted to the hospital due to pregnancy complications. Her fetus had many problems and disorders and could not survive. But doctors were hesitant to operate on her because of a new law in Poland that bans abortion except in cases of incest and rape. Isabella’s condition worsened. She texted her mother: “my temperature is rising, I don’t think they will operate on me until the fetus’s heart is beating, and by then I could get sepsis.” She died a few hours later.



Croatia’s Silent Dawn: Inside the Lives of the Foreign Workers

written by Matija Carević, Croatia

It’s early autumn morning. Maria sends a quick heart emoji to her family as she walks out of her small apartment. The streets are empty, the city still asleep, and the weight of a thousand kilometers lingers on her shoulders as she walks through the quiet dawn. She is one of thousands.