Screens are everywhere. They rest in pockets, glow on desks, illuminate bedrooms, and quietly shape how young people think, feel, and connect. For many adolescents and young adults, digital spaces are no longer separate from “real life”, they are simply life itself.
In recent years, the use of mobile phones and social media among children has become one of the most frequently discussed social issues. The rapid development of digital technology has brought many advantages, but it has also opened numerous questions about its impact on younger generations.
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”.
Do you want to strengthen your news literacy and critical thinking skills? Welcome to an engaging and practical online course designed to help you navigate today’s complex media landscape and become more resilient to fake news, misinformation, and propaganda.
Safer Internet Day is not just about protecting our devices or setting strong passwords. It is about understanding the space we spend so much time in. It is about learning how information reaches us, why certain content appears on our screens, and how easily our opinions can be influenced without us even noticing.
At a time when young people are increasingly exposed to complex information environments – shaped by algorithms, platform dynamics, and artificial intelligence – the need for structured, high-quality media literacy education is more evident than ever. The MAYnet Work Plan 2026 addresses this need through a combination of education, content production, network development, and advocacy.
It often feels like we just can’t catch a break. Gen Z is facing tough challenges: mental health struggles, the pressures of social media, uncertainty about the future, unemployment, and economic insecurity. We also deal with climate anxiety, social inequality, and the feeling that our voices aren’t being heard.
As part of the MEDActive Youth: Informing the Balkans project, a textbook and curriculum on news literacy titled “Sorting Facts from Fiction: Critical Thinking vs. Information Disorder and Propaganda” have been developed. These publications represent a valuable resource – a comprehensive teaching material pack – for educating youth about news literacy and critical thinking. The… Continue reading Sorting Facts from Fiction – Textbook and Curriculum
In recent years, there has been more talk about mental health, but still not enough. Depression, anxiety, pressure, feelings of loneliness, and not being good enough have become everyday realities for many young people, both globally and in Serbia. At first glance, everything seems fine. Young people are walking around, socializing, and laughing. But sometimes, behind a smile, there is something no one can see.
Digital activism has become a significant avenue for youth engagement in social movements, facilitated by innovative technologies and social media platforms. In an era where connectivity is instantaneous and information flows rapidly, young people have found new ways to participate in activism that are both accessible and impactful, transcending the boundaries of traditional protest methods.
In an era where information is both abundant and weaponized, the challenge is no longer just to combat propaganda but to understand why it thrives, even after the dramatic shifts that seemed to promise its decline.
With globalization, its key principles, and the expansion of opportunities for connection, exchange of ideas, and cooperation in all its aspects, serious global problems are also developing. One of the biggest is the prevalence of hate speech, where the growth trend is increasing. The existence and expansion of social networks where this problem is most prevalent gives this phenomenon a greater opportunity for development.