How to protect young people from manipulation and disinformation?

Abstract

There are many benefits to using digital media. By being able to communicate from virtually anywhere on earth, transmitting and receiving information, the media provide entertainment, educate and are a source of income. However, apart from the benefits of using the Internet, one cannot remain indifferent to the threats it brings. So far, the attention of Internet threat researchers has focused mainly on cyberviolence and addiction, but the threats arising from broadly understood disinformation on the Internet are also important. Young people who are just entering adolescence and discovering their own hierarchy of values are attacked with fake news almost every day. Due to their young age and tendency to succumb to group pressure, they do not verify the origin of the information they read or its credibility. The young generation for whom the Internet is a natural source of acquiring knowledge very often has problems with critical evaluation of information because it requires knowledge, commitment, time and, above all, the willingness of the recipient. In this context, the role of parents and teachers seems to be very important, as they should sensitize young people to this threat and help develop critical thinking in young people. Media education also faces a great task, as it seems to be a key tool in the fight against disinformation and manipulation on the Internet.