Youth Workers from Lithuania about Training Course "Post Truth"
Interview of Audangas Martinkus after the Training Course.
Can you give us your opinion about the project “Post-truth“? What is the most important thing you have learned during the training?
The Post-Truth project was an unforgettable experience, during which I learned about why and how fake news are spread, the different types of misinformation, the future of fake news and so much more. The instructors explained the topic properly, made learning interesting by using various teaching methods. Also, the instructors were very friendly, so I was not afraid to ask questions not only related to this project, but Erasmus+ in general. The participants chosen for this project were amazing, I'm happy to have made friends with these people and experienced some great adventures together. From things that are related to the topic of this project, I think the most important thing I have learned is how crucial it is to fact check the information that we see on the internet, because nowadays the internet is full of convincing looking lies.
In your opinion, how can young people deal with propaganda, misinformation and fake news? Do you have your own tips?
First of all, young people should have a mind of their own, and not be afraid to have a different opinion than their relatives. It can often be scary to discuss politics with your parents, but it's important to explain your views to them and show them that they might have been victims of fake news. In my opinion it's best to stick to the news sources that have proven to be the most reliable, and block the ones that have been known to fail the fact check. Also, it's important for schools to teach youngsters about misinformation and fake news. For example, I was never really taught about this topic in school, and it really surprises me why, since I think it's a crucial thing to learn.
How do you plan to share and use your knowledge in your local community?
There are many ways in which I use and share this knowledge everyday. Firstly, since I'm more aware of fake news, I obviously don't share them, and if I see a post that contains false information I make sure to report it. Secondly, If I see that someone has fallen victim to fake news, I try to prove it to them how the information is false and explain to that person how in the future they can fact check information. Also, I am currently in the process of teaching this information to my relatives, because I noticed some of them are vulnerable to disinformation. And lastly, me and my colleague Ismail have organized online workshops, during which we shared our knowledge with the participants and had discussions about the topics of the project and Erasmus+ in general. It was a great experience, teaching and discussing with others has helped me strengthen my own knowledge and improved my public speaking as well, so I hope to do similar things in the future.