The “Be Smart, be Tolerant (BEST)” project aims to increase the capacity of youth workers to carry out activities that develop young people’s skills to identify fake news and motivate them to get involved in combating this phenomenon.
To do that, the project partners have developed “BEST” guidebook for young people and youth workers to help them better respond to the challenges generated by the phenomenon of spreading fake news that affects us more and more intensely.
The BEST guidebook responds to the need of young people to learn how to identify fake news and limit its spread through social media sites (becoming more responsible and engaged citizens).
The developed guidebook consists of 3 chapters:
- CHAPTER I. Active Citizenship in the digital age
- CHAPTER II. Disinformation by distorting the era of big data and social networks
- CHAPTER III. Gamification and Non-formal Methods for Youth Work
CHAPTER I introduces the reader to a short history of media and different types of media (traditional vs digital). It delves into the significant role that media and propaganda have played in shaping historical narratives, exploring the history, varied types, and techniques of propaganda, alongside an examination of historical distortion. Furthermore, the chapter addresses the concept of media bias, exploring its nature, methods of recognition, and strategies for mitigating bias in media content.
CHAPTER II dwells deeper into concepts of disinformation, malinformation and misinformation. It carefully unravels the distinctions between these terms and provides insights on how to identify them. Exploring advanced topics, the chapter introduces the role of big data, the use of mathematical weapons in disinformation, the manipulation of statistics, and the rise of deepfakes in spreading deceptive information. It concludes by emphasizing the crucial importance of developing critical thinking skills as the ultimate tool in combating fake news.
CHAPTER III focus on the fascinating realm of gamified non-formal activities, demonstrating their potential to boost youth motivation and critical thinking. It explores the integration of gamification strategies into non-formal activities, making the learning experience engaging and dynamic. The chapter further enriches the understanding by presenting concrete examples of these innovative tools.
The guidebook is available to download in English, Italian, Romanian, Spanish and Greek languages.