Media Literacy Coalition organized 4 trainings for seniors in different community centers and cultural centers in Sofia. With the project “Academy for seniors: online media literacy” for the first time the trainings for seniors are organized in Sofia. The Media Literacy Coalition’s project is aimed at so-called “newcomers” to social networks, seniors who already have access to the Internet via smartphones, but have not yet developed the skills to safely and fully use the new communication channels on the Internet.
The trainings were held at the Iskar House of Culture, Krasno Selo House of Culture, Nikolay Haytov Community Centre and the American Centre at the Sofia Library. The project “Academy for the elderly: online media literacy” is implemented by the Association “Coalition for Media Literacy” in partnership with the District of Lozenets with the financial support of Sofia Municipality – Europe 2021 Program. Communication partners of the program are Global Libraries-Bulgaria Foundation, Ministry of Culture and “Third Age” newspaper.
The trainers were the investigative journalist Miroluba Benatova and the IT teacher and educational technologist Angel Georgiev.
About the program
Adults who are new to social media do not have a built-in knowledge of the abuses in these new channels. At the same time, they are active people who are eager to engage in public debates, but are often left out of the focus of national inclusion policies. Older people, especially during the pandemic, were exposed to serious social isolation, which online communication can largely compensate for. This is why they need to feel safe and confident to participate in the social life of the community online as well.
The program is tailored to the target group, developing through practical activities and discussions basic skills without making it unnecessarily difficult for older people.
How to distinguish credible from non-credible sources of information;
How to recognize fake social media profiles;
How to protect ourselves from online scams;
What are the risks associated with our personal data online.
Photos: Media Literacy Coalition
[translated automatically from the original in Bulgarian]