PROJECT INFO
DIS-PLAY
Combating Social Media Disinformation Among Youth Through Live Action Role Play
2021-2-SE02-KA220-YOU-000051481
01/03/2021 - 01/03/2024
TECHNICAL INFO
ERASMUSPLUS
ACTION KA220
CALL 2022
CEN
DIS-PLAY
Combating Social Media Disinformation Among Youth Through Live Action Role Play
Project Description
This project addresses the vulnerability of young people to disinformation on social media and the lack of media literacy skills. In the face of the ineffectiveness of current regulations and the rise of manipulated content, it seeks to equip young people with critical tools to protect democracy and their mental health. To achieve this, the project will train youth workers in digital competences and modern pedagogies. The central piece of the strategy is the use of folk education (folkbildning) through active and creative methods. Specifically, a Toolkit and a live-action role-playing game (LARP) will be developed, an immersive tool that connects learning with the real world. Thus, young people will be able to identify fake news and deepfakes while actively participating in their training. The ultimate goal is to foster civic engagement and prepare Generation Z to navigate the complex digital ecosystem safely and consciously.
Objectives
- Promote media and information literacy (MIL) in Generation Z, particularly regarding the detection and combating of disinformation on social media.
- Implement Live-Action Role-Playing (LARP) as an innovative non-formal education methodology for teaching critical competences.
- Create a safe and immersive learning environment (“brave space”) where young people can explore and test behaviours in response to disinformation without the risks of real life.
- Strengthen young people’s critical thinking and analytical ability to distinguish truthful content from false data in the digital environment.
Implementation
The implementation of the project is structured through the use of LARP sessions, an immersive methodology where participants assume roles within a fictional scenario designed to replicate real-world dynamics. In this format, educators act as non-player characters (NPCs) to observe and support participants’ learning as they interact, make decisions and experience the consequences of their actions in a shared narrative environment. This active approach allows learning to be implicit and practical, fostering a participatory culture that is much more appealing to the target group than traditional instructional methods.
Expected Results
Demonstrable improvement in the ability of participating young people to identify and counter disinformation in their social media interactions.
Acquisition of stronger media and digital literacy competences, applicable in their daily lives.
Greater engagement and motivation towards learning through the use of active and gamified methodologies such as LARP.
Development of technical guides and pedagogical resources that enable other educators to successfully implement the LARP method in youth settings.