Media literacy during war: children’s critical thinking is an element of security today

Today, Ukrainian schools function in a reality that has no precedents in the recent history of Europe. The educational process takes place not only within the framework of reforms, new programs and methods, but in conditions of full-scale war. Classrooms change to shelters, bells to sirens, and normal school discipline to survival skills. However, in addition to the physical threat that comes from shelling, there is an equally dangerous, but less obvious, informational front. In this struggle, the main weapon should be the ability to distinguish truth from lies, facts from manipulation.

The war in Ukraine: not only with tanks, but also with fakes

Children growing up in the age of digital technologies are active users of social networks and messengers. Telegram, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram have become the main channels of news consumption for them. However, along with the limitless possibilities, these platforms also carry enormous risks: from the spread of misinformation to psychological pressure. Ukrainian schoolchildren are a new generation that passes information tests every day. And it is teachers, with the support of the state and society, who should help them form a shield — critical thinking.

Russia, which is waging war against Ukraine, is not limited to military means. Informational aggression is one of the key components of its strategy. The aggressor is trying to sow panic, create an impression of insecurity, and destroy trust in Ukrainian institutions, the army, and each other through fakes, misrepresentations, emotional manipulations, and the spread of unreliable information in social networks. In this struggle, teenagers are a particularly vulnerable group: they are open to new information, emotional, often prone to spontaneous decisions and do not yet have a formed filter for critical perception of news.

Access to online content for Ukrainian children is almost unlimited. They come across war videos, high-profile statements from “experts”, stories allegedly from the front, or custom-made “exposé” posts. Disinformation on Telegram, TikTok, and even YouTube is presented in forms that are easy to perceive: emotional videos, supposedly “candid confessions,” sensational headlines, short clips with high visual impact.

Research that outlines disturbing realities

In June 2025, the public organization “Media Detector” published results of a large-scale study devoted to the information behavior of adolescents aged 12–18 years. These data revealed several important trends. Most children learn news from social networks, scrolling through the feed passively, without analyzing the sources. The most common topics are entertainment videos, educational content, educational content, and short videos about war, politics, celebrities, or news.

At the same time, more than half of the surveyed teenagers do not check the information they see on the Internet. On the contrary, it is often perceived as authentic only because the video “looks like the truth”, “was emotional”, “had many views” or “the author looked convincing”. Those who expressed doubts admitted that they did not know exactly how to check the facts.

According to the interviewees, the most disinformation occurs in TikTok and Telegram. And this is no accident – these platforms, by their very nature, allow for instant dissemination of information without any moderation or verification.

Teachers are the first line of defense

In the same June, another important study was published, which related to the level of media literacy of educators. Its results give grounds for cautious optimism. It turned out that 93% of Ukrainian teachers have a high or above average level of media literacy. This is significantly higher than among the adult population as a whole, where the figure is only 72%.

Educators recognize fakes, manipulations, custom materials better than other groups. They are more sensitive to information distortions and more often know how to explain certain information risks to students. Media literacy lessons have already been implemented in 66% of Ukrainian schools. And 47% of teachers independently develop practical tasks that help students check information and analyze news.

The educational environment itself, with proper support, can become a key space for the formation of informational stability in society.

How media literacy is taught: examples and initiatives

Back in 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy launched the national project “Filter” aimed at developing media literacy among citizens. After the start of a full-scale war, this initiative only gained momentum. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, a memorandum was signed that opened the way to numerous educational events: the All-Ukrainian Unity Lesson, the National Media Literacy Test, the “Reporter” competition, and thematic workshops for schoolchildren.

At the same time, public organizations, in particular the Academy of the Ukrainian Press, create manuals for teachers, parents and students. One such material, Media Literacy in Wartime, is particularly relevant for schools. It explains in detail how information works in times of aggression, which types of fakes are most common and which manipulation techniques are most often used.

Among them:

• distortion of facts – when the truth is mixed with fiction;
• taken out of context – when quotes or videos are presented in the form of sensationalism, distorting the content;
• pseudo-sources — nameless experts, fake “analytical centers”;
• improper generalizations — a particular case turns into a general pattern;
• emotional presentation – when the headline appeals to fear, anger or despair;
• silence of information – when significant events or facts are not covered at all.

It is not easy to recognize such manipulations, especially if the content is professionally designed, using logos of well-known media or stylization for official resources.

According to the study, teenagers generally have a basic understanding of digital security. Most are aware of the need for strong passwords, do not follow dubious links, and create content carefully — trying not to violate copyright. In the event of a conflict in the network, they usually block or ignore the offender. But they rarely turn to teachers or parents.

Teenagers themselves express an interest in the topics of cyber security, bullying, fakes and fraud, but note: the method of presentation should be clear to them. Videos of up to two minutes on TikTok or up to 30 minutes on YouTube with examples, humor and real stories are the formats that are best received.

The war exposed the vulnerable places of Ukrainian society. And if earlier critical thinking was an important skill, today it is a survival tool. Media literacy in the conditions of hybrid aggression is only the ability to recognize a fake, it is the preservation of trust in the truth, maintaining the integrity of the community, the ability not to panic and not to spread destructive.

The school remains the only institutional space where the state can systematically shape this skill in future generations. But this requires not only the desire of individual teachers or the support of public projects. Government policy, educational materials, personnel training, program updates, and support at all levels are needed.

In this war, children must not only learn mathematics or biology, but learn to survive in an information field that is no less hostile than the battlefield. They should be taught this at school in the family circle, because only those who are able to think critically can remain free even in the darkest times.