Media Literacy and Security: A Lecture for Students at KBSU

The College of Information Technology and Economics (KITiE) at Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov held an interactive lecture entitled «Media Literacy as a Factor in Countering the Negative Impact of the Media Environment.» Future programmers learned how to develop critical thinking for secure data handling and why responsibility for the information environment rests, among other things, with technology creators.

Kristina Lopatina, director of the Career Development Center at Kabardino-Balkarian State University and a lecturer at the Russian Society «Knowledge,» opened the meeting by highlighting the internet’s dual nature. On the one hand, the digital environment today is a powerful career boost and a source of knowledge, but on the other, it is a space fraught with increased dangers. For future professionals, careless consumption, or even dissemination, of false information online can be very costly.

The speaker focused on the main risks faced by young people online. The primary focus was legal liability: the law provides for severe penalties for disseminating fake information, inciting extremism, or inciting hatred, including fines of up to 300,000 rubles and imprisonment.

«It’s important to understand that punishment threatens not only the authors of publications, but also those who repost, like, or leave comments,» the lecturer emphasized.

The second aspect concerned reputational risks: since modern employers carefully scrutinize candidates’ digital footprints, destructive content on social media can block access to a desired profession. The third risk, according to Kristina Lopatina, is related to professional vulnerability, as a lack of fact-checking skills makes a specialist an easy target for manipulation.

The speaker noted that media literacy is impossible without a solid foundation of values:

«Countering extremist ideology begins not with prohibitions, but with developing a stable value system in young people that makes them immune to manipulation. Traditional spiritual and moral guidelines, such as family, education, and culture, serve as an internal filter protecting against destructive influences.»

The speaker outlined a number of basic competencies that a media-literate person must possess. These include the ability to verify information and compare data from different sources, protecting personal data, adhering to netiquette, and understanding who creates certain content and why. The rules of netiquette, including respect for privacy, politeness, and effective communication, were also discussed.

Concluding the meeting, Kristina Lopatina noted that media literacy today is a skill essential for survival and professional success. Professional development is impossible without ensuring safety in the digital environment and a strong sense of self-worth.

The KBSU Coordination and Prevention Center initiated the event, which aims to improve the digital culture of young people.