Sitemap
Mano VGTU
Medeinė
lt
Home
  • About University
    • Rector`s Welcome
    • Mission, Vision, Goals
    • Statute
    • Quality Assurance Policy
    • Management
    • History
    • Awards
    • For Alumni
    • VGTU innovations
    • Public Relations
    • Student Clubs and Activities
    • News
    • Events
  • Research and innovation
    • Focus Areas of Research
    • Scientists
    • Doctoral Studies
    • Projects
    • Research Departments
    • Conferences and Events
    • Research Publications
    • Contacts
  • Studies
    • New academic information
    • Study Programmes
    • Model of Studies
    • Timetables
    • ECTS Information Package
    • Diploma and Diploma Supplement
    • Final Work and Thesis
    • Career Services
    • Study documents
    • For persons with disabilities
    • Freshman's Guide
  • VGTU international
    • Partners
    • International networks
    • Current projects
    • For international staff
    • International events
    • For future partners
    • Contacts
  • For international students
    • Degree Programmes in English language
    • Visiting professors' lectures
    • Admission
    • Preparatory programme
    • For exchange students
    • Free movers
    • Student testimonials
    • Erasmus+ studies and internship (for current VGTU students only!)
    • Accommodation
    • Mentor programme
    • Medical care
    • Immigration Regulations
    • Leisure and student activities
    • Students with disabilities
    • Career Services
    • Useful information
    • Информация на русском языке
    • Contacts
    • Architectural pre-entrance program (APREP)
    • Activate your TECHNOgene with VGTU
    • VGTU IT School
  • For business
    • Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre
    • LinkMenų fabrikas
    • Research and Services
    • Projects
    • Participation in a study process
    • Lifelong Learning
    • Contacts
  • Faculties
    • Antanas Gustaitis‘ Aviation Institute Antanas Gustaitis‘ Aviation Institute
    • Environmental Engineering Environmental Engineering
    • Architecture Architecture
    • Electronics Electronics
    • Fundamental Sciences Fundamental Sciences
    • Creative Industries Creative Industries
    • Mechanics Mechanics
    • Civil Engineering Civil Engineering
    • Transport Engineering Transport Engineering
    • Business Management Business Management
Home
lt
Home About University News Online Social Networking Dangers: What Are They and How to Protect Yourself Against Them
  • Rector`s Welcome
  • Mission, Vision, Goals
  • Statute
  • Quality Assurance Policy
  • Management
  • History
  • Awards
  • For Alumni
  • VGTU innovations
  • Public Relations
  • Student Clubs and Activities
  • News
  • Events
Online Social Networking Dangers: What Are They and How to Protect Yourself Against Them
2018-08-10

Online Social Networking Dangers: What Are They and How to Protect Yourself Against Them

Nowadays, social media is one of the main tools for communication, and a way to obtain and share information. Naturally, the youth are among the most active users: most of them have their profiles on various social networks and social media is an integral part of their everyday life; thus, the youth (14-29 yrs) is the most affected group by the dangers of social networking: disguised advertising, propaganda, fake news, and information creating a distorted perception of reality just to mention a few. 

The content of social networks is created by the users themselves, and it is not surprising that there is no fact checking for the content which users receive. “The flow of information on social media is massive, and the content – photos, videos, news – can be very diverse: covering a lot of topics, and forming a certain perception of the world. There is a risk of taking the information for granted, despite the fact that some of it is deceptive or aims to influence us. Anyone has access to social networks, including those who want to cause harm, and the users lack critical judgement in evaluating the reliability, importance and usefulness of information,” – says Jovita Ruzgaitė, graduate of the Faculty of Creative Industries at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU). The research carried out by J. Ruzgaitė focused on understanding what influence does the social media have on opinion forming process among the youth, and tried to evaluate the influence of the social network Facebook. She used a research methodology created in cooperation with the specialists from the Education Development Centre (EDC) under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania.

One has to learn how to understand social networks

A few interesting trends have been revealed after surveying almost 700 young individuals (14-29 yrs) who use the social network Facebook. The first trend – very high trust in information found on the internet. The research showed that 64% of the respondents use the internet and, especially, social networks as their primary source of information, and only 1% of respondents refer to teachers or lecturers for help. Asking the close family (11%) and friends (9%) is also not common. “There is a clear trend that the youth are looking for information online, but not among their family members. It proves that they trust social networks. In addition, if they are not sure about the reliability of the information, they are not keen to look for the truth or cross check different sources of information,” says Jovita Ruzgaitė about the results of the research.        
Another problem – very high trust in influencers. The study found that information from the opinion leaders is potentially harmful for a young person. “It was revealed that the respondents who do not dare to express their opinion publicly, and, on the contrary, withhold it, are more prone to start believing that a position expressed by an opinion leader is more credible. This means, that users of the social network are ready to give up their own thoughts and accept someone else’s standpoint on certain issues. It is no doubt that opinion leaders play an important role in the development of young person’s consciousness,” says VGTU graduate.   

The research also proved that there is a link between the frequency of use of the social network and the level of trust in the published information. “The results of the survey showed that Facebook users who use the social network every day or several times a day always trust the information on Facebook: 30% of the respondents and 70% of the respondents respectively. We can draw a conclusion that frequent use of social networks leads to greater quantities of information; thus, the truth can be very hard to discern, and the users unconsciously start believing everything they see,” emphasises J. Ruzgaitė.

The link among three other factors – attentive reading, attention to detail, and less influence on the formation of an opinion – was identified as well. “The survey results showed that respondents are less likely to be affected when certain piece of information is selected from a massive information flow, and it is read attentively with efforts to distinguish between personal opinion of the source and facts. This proves the importance of the development of media and digital literacy,” says author of the research. 

How do you navigate the world of social media?

It is not easy for the users enthralled in social media to know whether or not the information is reliable and truthful. The development of media and digital literacy, and critical thinking skills is very important trying to learn how to navigate the world of social media. “Media literacy is the ability to select and assess the information on the social media to avoid the influence and unnecessary information, also it is the ability to create media content, to use the media independently, and understand its role in society,” says J. Ruzgaitė.  

Critical thinking is of equal importance. “Social media users who have critical thinking understand that information on social media is not a mirror image of the world, and they do not trust the information blindly and do not accept it as absolutely truthful”. Critical thinking skills are not innate; they have to be developed. Therefore, it is crucial for the youth to learn at school how to understand and choose the right information.  

According to the Minister of Education and Science, education on media literacy will be available at all schools by 2020. There are plans to include it in the general education curricula and various lessons. 1000 teachers should receive training on the topic. Meanwhile, Vilnius Salomėja Nėris Gymnasium supports the idea that media literacy should be part of modern process of education, and, in cooperation with VGTU’s Faculty of Creative Industries, from the 1st of September shall open the first media class in Lithuania. Pupils learning in this class will be better prepared to study media in the future. They will gain general competences – communication, understanding and analysis of target audience, getting the message across, development and sales of media products – which are very valuable in the market today. 

VGTU graduate who carried out the research suggests considering other alternatives as well: when educating the youth, include interactive teaching methods which teach how to recognise fake news by cross checking information, analysing visuals, posts by opinion leaders etc. This would be an excellent way to develop critical thinking skills, and a step forward towards more literate media users. 

“It is important to emphasise that media has influence irrespective of the users’ level of media literacy, but media literacy, critical thinking and the ability to filter the facts prevent us from believing the misleading information and help us focusing on information which does not have negative influence on forming of an opinion,” says J. Ruzgaitė.




 
    • Page administrators:
    • Kristina Lazickienė
    • Agnė Augustinaitė
About University
About University
Rector`s Welcome
For Alumni
Mission, Vision, Goals
VGTU innovations
Statute
Public Relations
VGTU Brand Book
Quality Assurance Policy
Student Clubs and Activities
Management
Council
Senate
Rector
Rector`s Team
Rectorate
Students` Representation
News
History
Events
Awards
Data Protection Policy
Research and innovation
Research and innovation
Focus Areas of Research
Research Departments
Research Centres
Civil Engineering Research Centre
Technology Centre for Building Information and Digital Modelling
Competence Centre of Intermodal Transport and Logistics
Research Institutes
Research Institutes University level
Research Institutes Faculty level
Research Laboratories
Scientists
Conferences and Events
Doctoral Studies
Programmes and Potential Supervisors
History and Theory of Arts
Informatics
Management
Economics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Civil Engineering
Transport Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Informatics Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Study modules
Admission (2018)
Dates of Admission to Doctoral Studies (2018)
Application Documents
Prices
Dissertation topics and a number of PhD places in the 2018 years
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Studies
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies
Dates of additional admission to doctoral studies
Additional admission to the doctoral studies in informatics engineering science field 2018
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of Additional Admission 2018
Priority List of the Applicants to Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies (except admission to Informatics Engineering)
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies in 2018 years
List of Additionally Admitted to Doctoral Studies in Informatics Engineering in 2018
Dates of second additional admission to doctoral studies
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of the second Additional Admission 2018
Priority List of the Applicants to the Second Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies
The List of Additionally Admitted to Doctoral Studies 2018
Admission (2017)
Dates of Admission to Doctoral Studies (2017)
Application Documents
Prices
Dissertation topics and a number of PhD places in the 2017 years
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Studies
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies in 2017 years
Dates of Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of Additional Admission 2017
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies in 2017 years
Second Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies (2017)
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of Second Additional Admission 2017
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Stiudies (2017 Second Addtional Admission)
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies in 2017 years
Admission (2016)
Dissertation Topics and Supervisors Competition
Dates of Admission to Doctoral Studies (2016)
Application Documents
Prices
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places in the 2016 years
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Studies
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies in 2016 years
Dates of Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of Additional Admission 2016
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Studies 2016
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies of Additional Admission in 2016
Dates of Second Additional Admission to Doctoral Studies
Dissertation themes and a number of PhD places of Second Additional Admission 2016
Priority List of the Applicants to Doctoral Studies (2016 Second Additional Admission)
The List of Admitted to Doctoral Studies (Second Additional Admission in 2016)
For externs
Doctoral Training Bylaws
Regulations for Research Doctoral Studies
The Timetable of Annual Evaluation in the Departments (2018 years)
The Timetable of Annual Evaluation in Doctoral Studies Committees (2018 years)
Contacts
Research Publications
Open Access
Research Journals
Monographs
Main Publications
Projects
Sustainable building
Environmental and energy technologies
Sustainable transport
Mechatronics
Information and communication technologies
Technology management and economics
Fundamental research on materials and processes
Contacts
Studies
Studies
New academic information
Final Work and Thesis
Study Programmes
Undergraduate Studies
Integrated Studies
Graduate Studies
Postgraduate Studies
Career Services
Jobs
Internship
VGTU Career Days 2019
Project "VGTU graduates - 100 perspectives"
Model of Studies
Study documents
Timetables
For persons with disabilities
ECTS Information Package
Information on the institution
Institution
Academic calendar
Academic authorities
Programmes offered
General admission requirements
General arrangement for the recognition of prior learning
General registration procedure
ECTS credits allocation based on the student workload
Arrangements for academic guidance
Information on the degree programmes
General information for the students
Costs of living
Accommodation
Meals
Medical facilities
Facilities for special need students
Insurance
Financial support for students
Student Affairs Office
Learning Facilities
International Programmes
Practical information for mobile students
Language courses
Internships
Sports and leisure facilities
Student associations
Erasmus policy statement
Erasmus Charter 2014-2020
Freshman's Guide
Diploma and Diploma Supplement
VGTU international
VGTU international
Partners
Erasmus+ agreements
Bilateral agreements
International events
International staff week
Teaching week
International networks
For future partners
We are looking for
Current projects
International academic projects
HR4ASIA
GRADual
MOSAIC
EU-LAND21
GreenB
Numerical modelling of bacterium contact
Contacts
For international staff
ERASMUS+ teaching staff mobility
ERASMUS+ international credit mobility
For erasmus+ administrative staff
Working & Living
Working at VGTU
Working in Lithuania (Visa, taxes, etc.)
Joining VGTU community
Useful information
For international students
For international students
Degree Programmes in English language
Undergraduate studies
Architecture
Building Energetics
Business Management
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Information Technologies
Information Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Economics Engineering
Mechatronics and Robotics
Financial Engineering
Automotive Engineering
Creative Industries
Digital Manufacturing
Graduate Studies
Environmental Protection Technology and Management
Business Management
Electrical Energetics Systems Engineering
Industrial Engineering and Innovation Management
Mechatronics Systems
Innovative Road and Bridge Engineering
Structural Engineering
Electronics Engineering
Financial Engineering
Information and Information Technologies Security
Economics Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Aviation Mechanics Engineering
Computer Engineering
Innovative Solutions in Geomatics
Automotive Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Transport Logistics
Aircraft Piloting Integrated studies
Postgraduate Studies
Immigration Regulations
Visiting professors' lectures
All lectures
Leisure and student activities
Admission
Admission Requirements for International Students
Country Specific Requirements
Application Procedure
Qualification Recognition
Legalization of Educational Documents
Tuition and Other Fees
Language requirements
Scholarships
VGTU Scholarships
State Scholarships
Students with disabilities
Preparatory programme
Career Services
For exchange students
Exchange studies (ERASMUS+ and bilateral agreement)
ERASMUS+ (traineeship)
FAQ
Contacts
Useful information
Major information about Lithuania
How to Reach Lithuania
Useful Links
Places to visit in Lithuania
Lithuanian language
Civil Engineering building better future for society and yourself
Free movers
Информация на русском языке
Student testimonials
Contacts
Erasmus+ studies and internship (for current VGTU students only!)
Architectural pre-entrance program (APREP)
Accommodation
Activate your TECHNOgene with VGTU
Mentor programme
VGTU IT School
Medical care
For business
For business
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre
News
Patents
Innovative Business
Innovative business promotion (INOVEKS)
Participation in a study process
Find employees
Find interns
Career Days
Project "VGTU graduates - 100 perspectives"
LinkMenų fabrikas
Lifelong Learning
Research and Services
Sustainable Building
Environmental and Energy Technologies
Sustainable Transport
Information and Communication Technologies
Mechatronics
Technology Management and Economics
Contacts
Projects
Sustainable building
Environmental and energy technologies
Sustainable transport
Mechatronics
Information and communication technologies
Technology management and economics
Fundamental research on materials and processes
Contacts
Contacts
Main contacts
Contacts for press
Departments contacts
VGTU maps
Staff contacts
Mano VGTU
Medeinė
  • Antanas Gustaitis‘ Aviation Institute Antanas Gustaitis‘ Aviation Institute
  • Creative Industries Creative Industries
  • Environmental Engineering Environmental Engineering
  • Mechanics Mechanics
  • Architecture Architecture
  • Civil Engineering Civil Engineering
  • Electronics Electronics
  • Transport Engineering Transport Engineering
  • Fundamental Sciences Fundamental Sciences
  • Business Management Business Management
  • Privacy policy
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius
For international students: +370 5 274 5026, crypt:PGEgaHJlZj0ibWFpbHRvOnRzY0B2Z3R1Lmx0IiB0aXRsZT0idHNjQHZndHUubHQiPnRzY0B2Z3R1Lmx0PC9hPg==:xx
For general information: +370 5 274 5030, crypt:PGEgaHJlZj0ibWFpbHRvOnZndHVAdmd0dS5sdCI+dmd0dUB2Z3R1Lmx0PC9hPg==:xx
Fax +370 5 270 0112
 
Legal entity code 111950243,
VAT payer code LT119502413.
e-solution Mediapark
e-solution Mediapark