KULT: Young people in Bosnia are highly active online but rarely verify the information they read

He said the survey’s key findings concern the use of social media to obtain information, fact-checking practices, the use of artificial intelligence and attitudes towards education.

"Almost nine in ten young people use social media to find information at least several times a week. As for fact-checking, more than half rarely or never verify information. Around 40 percent of young people use artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, but they generally do not verify the content generated by these tools either," Djipa said.

The survey provides insight into young people's information-seeking habits, their trust in the media, their ability to recognize disinformation and the ways they assess the credibility of content in the digital environment.

"Compared with the European research context, empirical studies on media literacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain relatively limited and fragmented. Most available analyses cover individual aspects of digital literacy, online safety or citizens' information-seeking habits. Systematic nationwide studies focusing exclusively on young people's media literacy are still rare, further highlighting the need to develop longitudinal research frameworks in this field," he added.

He stressed that the survey covered all ten cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, six geographical regions in Republika Srpska and the Brčko District.

The findings reveal significant differences in young people's understanding of basic concepts. Some 91.8 percent correctly identify disinformation, 67.4 percent correctly identify spin, and 58.2 percent correctly define fake news. Only 43 percent know what a masthead is, while just 35.1 percent correctly recognize media literacy as the ability to critically assess different types of media content.

Ivana Vucetic, a journalist with Istinomjer, said the survey results also show that young people spend a considerable amount of their free time in the digital environment.

"They obtain most of their information through social media," Vucetic noted.

Young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are highly active online and aware of the risks posed by disinformation, but their media literacy still reveals a significant gap between confidence, knowledge and practical behaviour, the participants stressed.

"The greatest potential for improvement lies in developing practical fact-checking skills, understanding algorithm-driven and AI environments, assessing source credibility and systematically introducing media literacy into education. At the same time, young people's strong support for improving media literacy provides a solid foundation for developing long-term educational and public policies in this field," Djipa added.

The overall level of media literacy among young people in Bosnia was assessed as insufficiently developed.

The findings of the KULT Institute for Youth Development point to the need to continuously strengthen young people’s media literacy through education, practical training and content tailored to their information-seeking habits. At a time when social media and digital platforms play an increasingly important role in shaping opinions and understanding the world, it is essential to ensure that young people are not merely consumers of information but also critical evaluators who can recognize disinformation, understand media messages and participate responsibly in the digital environment.