According to Eurofound , young people aged 15-20 or those Not in Education, Employment or Training are less interested in politics (only 28,7%), declare a disposition to vote and demonstrate a lower social participation than non-NEETs. Within this context, the increasing use of internet and social media could create new routes to political and civic engagement.
Actually, 80% of young people 16-29 use internet and social media on a daily basis, however, only 40% of them have the adequate skills and only 2% of them demonstrate critical thinking while searching for information online. This issue has emerged new challenges as the rise of fake news on the internet and social media have caused concerns. At the same time, disinformation is a major threat for European democracies and societies , undermining thus the trust of citizens in democracy and democratic institutions.
Therefore, the combination of low civic and political engagement and low digital skills of young people (including NEETs) have intensified the need to address both issues, countering at the same time fake news, propaganda and manipulation.
KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre
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