🇦🇹 "Back to Basics: Social Detox" - 14-22.09.2023 - Rettenegg, Austria

Updated: Nov 15, 2023

Between the 14th and 22nd of September Rettenegg (Austria) hosted a youth exchange called “Back to Basics: Social Media Detox". This unique opportunity brought together young people from Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Spain, and Italy.

The youth exchange aimed to discuss the effect and impact of social media on young people's lives because, in today's world, social media is a significant part of many young people's lives. "...this experience helped me grow in ways I never anticipated. It pushed me to adapt quickly to new environments, communicate effectively despite language barriers, and embrace the unknown with confidence. These lessons have become invaluable in both my personal and academic life. My Erasmus journey wasn't just about traveling, it was a transformative experience that broadened my horizons ignited my curiosity, and made me appreciate the beauty of stepping outside my comfort zone." - this and many other stories from participants make us believe that the Erasmus+ program keeps changing lives and empowering young people around Europe!

Project Website🌐

Here you can find all the amazing results produced by our fantastic participants! We are so proud of what they created together during a single unforgettable week 😻 https://sites.google.com/view/back-to-basics-ye-rettenegg/

Video Testimonials 🧑‍🎤

Our Project 📴

Originating from different countries, all participants in the "Back to Basics" project share one common space - the digital world. Therefore, they've also had many similar experiences. Media platforms are home to a lot of social phenomena (both positive and negative) that we had the chance to focus on during the project. One of the main objectives of the project was to develop critical thinking skills. Fake news, fabricated images and videos, and unmoderated blogs and comments are all over various online platforms. Viral challenges and so-called influencers often promote dangerous or immoral behavior that the youth often cannot classify as such.

Our inability to filter the flow of information we receive digitally can have threatening effects on us and pose serious dangers. The negative influence of social media includes, /but is not limited to/ the spread of social phenomena like cyberbullying, and body dysphoria, as well as radicalization and misinformation. The digital space also creates a field for fraud, identity theft, and online stalking. Many of the participants shared their personal experiences during the workshop and we discussed methods of prevention and seeking help.

We did however also look into the positive effects of social media. During the workshop led by the Serbian team, we concluded that most participants found communication with friends and family to be the most important thing they use social media for, followed by the usage of digital learning and work resources. Identifying positive examples online and implementing them in your lifestyle can also be exceptionally beneficial. Digital platforms can also be used to raise awareness on pressing issues, therefore creating campaigns was also part of our activities.

Through the 'learning by doing' method the participants moved towards the goals of the program. Raising awareness among the participants about the pros and cons of the digital world was proven to be a fruitful and enjoyable experience that we combined with our own digital detox.