Critical Balance - Preventing young people from going down the rabbit hole

<< Background >>The application for the Critical Balance project was motivated by the societal challenges posed by the spread of conspiracy theories during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic. These theories, thriving especially among young people due to increased social media use and isolation, have led to various negative societal impacts, including decreased vaccination rates, lower election participation, environmental negligence, and the spread of prejudice. Recognizing a significant need to enhance young people's critical thinking and media literacy skills, the project aims to empower them to identify and counteract conspiracy theories and disinformation through non-formal, informal methods, and an e-learning environment. Additionally, it addresses the need for capacity building among youth workers to effectively tackle these issues.<< Objectives >>The objectives of implementing the Critical Balance project are primarily focused on addressing the negative societal impacts of conspiracy theories among young people, including racism, intolerance, and resistance towards science. To achieve this, the project sets specific goals:Support and build the capacity among youth workers with innovative methods and training on how to confront and prevent conspiracy beliefs, especially those with a racist core, among young people in both online and offline practices.Increase critical thinking and critical media literacy skills among young people. This is aimed at enabling them to better understand and deal with conspiracy theories when confronted with them, thereby better coping with the novel risks and implications of digitalization and the availability of disinformation.These objectives are geared towards empowering young people with the skills necessary to critically evaluate information, particularly conspiracy theories and disinformation prevalent in digital media. The project seeks to cultivate a more informed and discerning young populace that can engage constructively with the digital information landscape<< Implementation >>In the Critical Balance project, the following activities were implemented to achieve its objectives:Promotion and Sharing Activities: These included creating a website for the project, hosting multiplier events, creating newsletters, arranging stakeholder meetings, attending conferences and meetings, and forming networks to disseminate the project's goals and outcomes.Joint Teaching, Learning, Training Event: A training event for 12 youth workers was held in Latvia. This event aimed at building the capacity of youth workers to address conspiracy theories and enhance critical thinking and media literacy among young people.National Piloting Workshops: The project conducted workshops with a minimum of 90 young people participating. These workshops were designed to directly engage young people and equip them with critical thinking and media literacy skills.Project Management Activities: These included quality assurance, risk assessment, organizing 5 transnational partnership meetings, impact assessment, financial and time reporting, and writing an interim and final report. A project management handbook was also produced to document the processes and learnings.Implementation of Project Results: This involved desk research, interviews, writing reports, mapping prevalent conspiracy theories, drafting and developing the e-handbook, researching and developing a toolbox for youth workers, and establishing an e-learning platform. The platform included online exercises such as pop quizzes, aiming to validate the project results and ensure their applicability and effectiveness.<< Results >>The Critical Balance project delivered both tangible and intangible outcomes aimed at enhancing the capacity of youth workers and improving critical thinking and media literacy among young people. The main outcomes included:Mapping of Conspiracy Theories in Europe: A comprehensive PDF document available online and for downloading. This document mapped the situation of conspiracy theories in Europe related to young people, including a list of prevalent conspiracy theories, an analysis of young people’s media and news usage connected to conspiracy theories, and an outline of youth workers' capacities in relation to critical thinking, critical media literacy, and conspiracy theories.E-Book for Youth Workers on Critical Thinking and Conspiracy Theories: This resource, available online for downloading, was designed to help youth workers better understand the relationship between conspiracy theories, social media, and media consumption, and the psychological aspects of why people believe in conspiracy theories. It emphasized why critical thinking and critical media literacy are essential tools for preventing the spread of conspiracy theories.Toolbox with Critical Thinking and Critical Media Literacy Exercises: This toolbox included a minimum of 24 interactive, informal, and non-formal exercises for youth workers to implement with young people. The exercises focused on boosting the level of critical thinking and critical media literacy among youth.E-Platform with Exercises in Critical Thinking and Critical Media Literacy: The project developed an educational platform that combined the above results with interactive tools like a magazine-style Pop Quiz. This platform used the quiz results to offer tailored video responses, further engaging and educating the users.These outputs were designed not just as end products but as tools for ongoing education and engagement. They aimed to build capacity among youth workers and equip young people with the necessary skills to critically analyze information, thereby combating the influence of conspiracy theories and disinformation.