Event report

The availability of information in the digital era is unquestionable, but it also poses a threat to our security. It’s easy to get lost in the entire information stream we get every day and become a victim of fake news, especially for the elderly. The aim of the discussion was to introduce older people to the term “melagienas”, to tell the people gathered how many of them we get every day, how to recognise them and not be misled, everyone to share their experiences, to find out the questions they have. There has been a debate on whether all “melagias” are equally dangerous, how to build critical thinking and societal resilience to them? The discussion was moderated by Lukas Keraitis, journalist, co-author of the LRT Plus programme “Soup of Science”, freelance guide to the world of technology, science and the Internet. Audiences were encouraged to use digital tools but also learn to protect themselves from misleading information. The seniors had a lot of questions, giving concrete examples from their experience, trying to guess the truth or lie from the messages given by the lecturer.