2026
New SEED study shows how recognising disinformation does not usually mean fighting it
Younger generations are quick to identify false or questionable online content, yet most choose to scroll past it or verify it privately rather than challenge it directly. This striking gap between recognition and active response is the central finding of a new European study released by the SEED project (Supporting European Youth Engagement against Disinformation), in which ERYICA is an active associate partner.
Surveying 377 participants across Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, the research compared the direct experiences of young people aged 16 to 25 with those of educators, youth workers, and local professionals. While social media and short-form video remain the primary vectors for misleading narratives, the study revealed that offline channels such as family networks and word-of-mouth play a surprisingly significant role in spreading disinformation, particularly in Italy, where youth rarely consult formal adult figures to verify facts.
The nature of the problem also varies significantly by region. In the Netherlands, distorted narratives heavily target sexuality, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equality, whereas Italian contexts focus on migration, youth, and labour rights. Despite these differences, professionals across all three countries voiced a unified demand for practical methodologies, noting a severe lack of hands-on tools to effectively address online manipulation in their daily work with youth groups.
Co-funded by the European Union’s CERV Programme, the SEED project is led by Istituto Cooperazione Economica Internazionale (ICEI) in collaboration with Monash University European Research Foundation, Rutgers, and Jugendstiftung Baden-Württemberg. Moving into its next phase, the initiative will use these research insights to build digital-first, participatory training frameworks that transform young people from passive observers into confident, active participants in democratic life.
