Purpose of the program:

Access to reliable and quality information, citizen participation and democracy are closely linked, particularly for participation in public debate and the ability to make an informed decision as a citizen, for example during elections.

As young people are on the verge of being able to exercise their rights and duties as citizens, it is important that they are equipped and critical with regard to the information available, that they consume and share, but that they are also interested and have access to current content on local, regional, national or even international issues that affect them.

With technological developments, young people have easy access to an infinite number of online news content, which allows them to follow the topics that interest them, but also exposes them widely to misinformation and disinformation. According to an analysis by the Digital Transformation Academy  In 2023, 62% of young Quebecers aged 18 to 24 said that social media was their primary source of news information. This statistic shows that it is important for young people to acquire good media literacy to be able to distinguish credible information from misleading content.

MIT research published in 2018 showed that false information spreads 6 times faster than true information. Furthermore, algorithmic recommendations ensure that social networks lead to biases, since the content offered confirms and reinforces our vision of the world, thus creating echo chambers.

At the same time, young people are getting less and less information from so-called traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. They are not disinterested in current events, but they may not always find content that suits them and that addresses issues that concern them and in formats that suit them.

This Program for Well-Informed Youth therefore aims to support and improve access to reliable, quality information for young people and aims to help them develop their critical thinking with regard to the content to which they are exposed.

Objective