The aim of the workshop is to introduce participants to the topic of disinformation and fake news, showing how pervasive their impact is now in our daily lives, with consequences that can have devastating effects on social cohesion. The circulation of fake news and conspiracy theories can in fact lead to deviant phenomena such as racism, bullying and cyberbullying, violence and mistrust in social life. Young people are particularly exposed to these risks, often in direct contact, without mediation, with flows of misinformation spread via social media and with fictional theories capable of propagating feelings of insecurity or even hatred. Faced with this dynamic, it is essential that institutions, starting with schools, provide useful tools for the training of critical thinking and the ability to distinguish potentially harmful materials. A decisive countermeasure can be represented in this sense by peer education at a micro-community level, to stimulate young people to discuss major issues and mutual support both in interrupting negative media circuits and in reporting early manifestations of deviance.
Moderator: Beniamino Franceschini (Vice President, Il Caffè Geopolitico)
Guests: Alberto Rossi (Mayor of Seregno), Matteo Pugliese (Researcher and editorialist), Francesco Di Giorgi (Official at AGCOM)
