Strengthening Digital Citizenship: TRUTH4YOUTH Workshops in Latvia

How do we know whether the information we see online can be trusted? How quickly do we form opinions based on headlines, social media posts, or incomplete information? And what happens when misinformation looks convincing?

These were some of the questions explored during the TRUTH4YOUTH Digital Disciplined Citizenship Sessions, organised by EFE. The two local workshops brought together 26 young people aged 16–24 to strengthen their critical thinking, media literacy, and ability to navigate misinformation in their everyday digital lives.

The workshops were part of WP4 of the TRUTH4YOUTH project and built directly on the international Training of Trainers held in Sofia. The aim of the local phase was to bring the methods and knowledge gained during the international training directly to young people in partner communities, focusing on digital citizenship, critical thinking, media literacy, fact-checking, and resilience to disinformation.

Rather than approaching these topics through lectures, the sessions were based on learning by doing, discussion, reflection, and practical experimentation. Young people's own experiences were placed at the centre of the learning process, encouraging them not simply to receive information but to question, analyse, discuss, and apply what they discovered.

One of the first challenges invited participants to work with incomplete information and attempt to solve a puzzle. What initially appeared to be a simple task quickly opened a wider conversation about assumptions. Participants recognised how easily we can become confident in a conclusion even when we do not have all the necessary evidence. Several connected this directly to their own behaviour online, particularly when reacting to headlines or social media posts without checking the full context.

As one participant reflected:

“I never thought about how often I judge information just by the headline. Now I see how easy it is to be influenced before knowing the full story.”

The workshops then moved from assumptions to media narratives. Participants compared how different sources could report the same event while emphasising different facts, perspectives, and language. This sparked discussions about media bias, objectivity, trust, algorithms, and the importance of consulting several sources before forming an opinion. Locally relevant Latvian and regional examples were used so participants could connect the activities with information they encounter in their own digital environments.

For some, the activity also challenged their confidence in their own interpretation of information:

“I realised I was convinced I was right simply because our group agreed. Hearing the other groups made me question my own assumptions. It reminded me that confidence is not the same as evidence.”

The Fake News Quiz and media literacy activities added another practical challenge. Participants discovered that misinformation is not always obviously false. It can contain elements of truth, authentic images, or emotionally engaging messages that make misleading information much harder to recognise. Some participants confidently classified examples incorrectly, creating an important learning moment: being confident about information is not the same as having evidence that it is accurate.

As another participant explained:

“I thought I was good at spotting fake news, but some examples fooled me. It made me realise that everyone can be manipulated. The important part is knowing how to check information.”

Discussions also highlighted how closely these issues are connected with young people's everyday lives. Social media algorithms, TikTok and Instagram, media bias, and increasingly AI-generated content emerged as particularly relevant topics. Participants showed strong interest in understanding how artificial intelligence may affect trust in online information and how different sources can be checked before information is believed or shared.

An important element throughout both workshops was creating space for participants to challenge not only information but also their own assumptions. Small-group discussions helped quieter participants contribute more confidently, while extended reflection after activities allowed the groups to move beyond simply finding the “right answer” and examine how their own online habits influence what they believe.

The sessions concluded with personal action planning, encouraging participants to translate their learning into concrete changes in their digital behaviour. Participants identified practical steps such as checking who published information and why, comparing different sources, looking beyond headlines, and slowing down before accepting or sharing information online.

The workshops showed that media literacy is not only about identifying whether something is “real” or “fake.” It is about developing the habit of questioning, checking context, recognising our own assumptions, comparing perspectives, and making more informed decisions online. In a digital environment where information moves faster than ever, these are becoming essential skills for active and responsible citizenship.

TRUTH4YOUTH – Digital Disciplined Citizenship

Project No. 101252921 — TRUTH4YOUTH — CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.