In today’s world, where misleading and false information spreads rapidly, media literacy is often seen as the solution. But many existing approaches to media literacy are designed for audiences in Western countries and focus on protecting the audiences from harmful information rather than preparing them for living in the situation of “permanent crisis”.
This project takes a different approach. Instead of focusing solely on protecting people from disinformation, we explore how media literacy can help individuals build resilience in environments where access to reliable information is limited and where daily life is shaped by crisis and uncertainty.
Led by Dr. Olga Pasitselska and Dr. Annamária Neag, the project builds on previous research with older adults in Ukraine and unaccompanied refugee youth. Now, the focus shifts to Ukrainian refugees living in the Northern Netherlands, as we aim to understand how these individuals use media literacy skills to navigate complex and often distorted information landscapes.
The goal is to develop a new media literacy education framework that builds resilience. This framework empowers individuals to actively shape their information environment, establish intentional media consumption practices, and effectively navigate both emotionally difficult content and information overload.
Project members: Dr Olga Pasitselska; Dr Annamária Neag; Prof Marcel Broersma and a PhD student