Fake News & Elders
Elders in the Times of Fake News and
Information Overload
About the project
Today’s fast internet era places high demands on all users, their critical thinking and their ability to respond to the information overload that is coming from many different sources. Today’s elders have lived most of their lives at a time when the Internet was far from being as developed as it is today. Therefore, they might be subject to disinformation pressures, manipulations, fake news and conspiracy theories.
The Fake News & Elders Project, which is co-funded by the European Union, aims to educate seniors on fake news and media literacy in order to be able to critically assess media contents. Six organizations from Poland, Italy, Spain, France, Czech Republic and Greece, with experience and knowledge on issues of fake news and media literacy, will cooperate and work on four main project results:
• a handbook for elders on mass communication and fake news
• a practical course for elders on the critical use of new media in relation to fake news
• a methodological guide for social workers and organizations who work with elders on how to help them improve their digital and media literacy skills
• a series of educational boards with key information about fake news and how to deal with them
The Fake News & Elders project promotes the social inclusion of elders as people with fewer opportunities, often digitally and educationally excluded. The specific nature of this target group exposes them to age discrimination and can cause deepening of exclusion.
The project aims to help overcome barriers faced by elders in everyday life. Barriers stem from a lack of awareness of how the modern digital world works, including social media, an inability to distinguish false information, succumbing to manipulation, and believing in post-truth.
The project activities are addressed to local educational and learning environments – educators, libraries, trainers, consultants or NGOs.
The Partners
FRAME
Foundation for the Development of International and Educational Activity - aims to develop and promote international cooperation of local communities supporting education, professional activity and the wellbeing of citizens. It is based in Poland and implements the statutory goals thanks to the development of international, national and local cooperation of broadly understood social character, supporting European integration, active cooperation in the development of civil society and democracy culture as well as scientific, educational and cultural activities.
European Institute for Research, Training and Vocational Guidance
European Institute for Research, Training and Vocational Guidance (I.E.R.F.O.P. Onlus) is a non-profit VET institution in Italy founded in 1988, by the will of the main associations representing all the disabilities (blind, deaf, physical disabled and disabilities related to ageing). The Institute has progressively expanded its training and education provision in different areas and for different categories of users, and it is committed to the constant improvement of educational processes. The primary goal is the integration and reintegration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market through guidance and training aimed at facilitating the socio-economic autonomy and integration of disabled people, by supporting their access to education.
FyG Consultores
FyG Consultores (FYG) is a private educational and training organization in Spain, that promotes the local labour market as well as a lifelong learning process of adults, companies and young people. FYG works actively on career development services to refer to a wide range of programs and services whose main purpose is to help individuals to gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop life wellbeing and to manage their learning, work and careers.
E-Seniors
E-Seniors is a non-profit non-governmental organization, founded in 2005 in France. E-Seniors aims at fighting e-exclusion by providing access to and training in ICT to seniors and/or disabled people. Its main objectives are to bridge the digital gap between generations, to foster seniors’ social participation and to propose activities encouraging seniors to spend actively their free time.
Spolek PELICAN
Spolek PELICAN is a non-profit association in Czech Republic active in the field of education and culture. It is based on the belief that effective communication, transmission of worthy information and awareness of critical thinking are necessary skills in today’s society. Its mission is to serve the needs of students and the educational community by supporting, collaborating and partnering with local, regional and state non-profit organizations and providing quality products, programs and professional services.
Athens Lifelong Learning Institute
Athens Lifelong Learning Institute is a research and education institute, based in Greece. It has the mission to foster and enhance innovation processes mainly in the areas of education and lifelong learning, human capital development, knowledge society and social inclusion. The Institute exhibits an active interest in a number of social issues such as social exclusion, discrimination and suppression of human rights and has attempted through the implementation of innovative learning methodologies to moderate their impact.