Children are entering the virtual world earlier than ever before, with many owning smartphones and actively using social media by the age of ten. Such an environment brings numerous opportunities, but also serious risks. Exposure to inappropriate content, algorithmic pressure, influencers as new “role models,” deepfake technology, and AI-generated content is becoming an everyday reality. All of this significantly impacts identity formation.
Digital Pressures and Identity Vulnerability
Adolescence is a period when young people intensely question who they are, where they belong, and what kind of self-image they want to build. At the same time, this is when they become most susceptible to external influences. On social media, they encounter idealized portrayals of life, manipulative content, artificially generated characters, and disinformation aimed at grabbing attention or provoking a reaction. All of this can undermine their self-esteem, create unrealistic expectations, and make it difficult to distinguish between digital and authentic identities.
Although technically proficient, young people often lack the critical and media competencies required to recognize manipulation, understand algorithmic logic, and take control of their own digital footprints. Simultaneously, teachers are increasingly facing student-related online challenges, yet lack adequately adapted materials and professional support.
What Will the SELF-ID Project Deliver?
Over the next two and a half years, the project team will develop a series of materials and activities to provide schools with support in strengthening youth identity:
- The SELF-ID Handbook, featuring educational content, workshops, and methodologies for addressing topics of identity, self-image, self-esteem, and digital influences.
- An Escape Room board game and a collection of game-based learning activities designed to help students actively discover how the online world shapes their attitudes and perceptions.
- A teacher training program that will equip educators with the competencies needed to guide discussions on sensitive topics regarding identity and digital behavior.
- An impact study assessing the effect of project activities on students, which will contribute to a better understanding of the nexus between identity and digital challenges.
Project Coordinator DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies Maribor
Partners
- Društvo za komunikacijsku i medijsku kulturu (DKMK)
- Associazione Le Nius ETS
- Spielmacher
- Primary School Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, Ivanec
- Primary School Janko Padežnik, Maribor
- Istituto Comprensivo Rinnovata Pizzigoni Primary School, Milan
Project Duration December 1, 2025 – May 31, 2028
