Professor Kanižaj gave a lecture "Media in the Service of Hope or Hopelessness?" in Požega

The Catholic Information Agency reports that at the second Lenten Thursday Forum within the year of the Ordinary Jubilee on March 20, 2025, in the St. Teresa Hall in Požega, Prof. Igor Kanižaj from the University Department of Communication Studies was a guest speaker.
 

Prof. Kanižaj began his presentation "Media in the Service of Hope or Hopelessness?" by reviewing the drastic changes that the Internet and social networks have brought to human life. He emphasized that the digital age has brought numerous advantages, but also challenges, especially in terms of privacy and security. He then presented the results of research showing that 65% of adults publish photos of preschool children on social networks, and 35% of parents do so already in the first year of their child's life. He warned of the dangers of such behavior, emphasizing the importance of protecting personal data and children's privacy.
 

He then asked a series of questions that encourage reflection on one's own behavior on the Internet. "Are you familiar with the rules of conduct on the Internet? Do you post statuses and messages on networks when you are angry? Do you exchange personal information with each other?" and pointed out that the answers to these questions can help in better understanding the violation of one's own privacy and ways to protect it. He also critically commented on the media discourse on religion, which is "often superficial, marked by prejudices and stereotypes, ambiguous, subject to commercialization and focused on incidents and scandals". He presented ten basic sources of information about religion and religious content in Croatia. He pointed out that the Church can be an example of responsible use of the media.
 

In his presentation, he also warned about the prevailing negativity in the media, which encourages a sense of hopelessness. He pointed out that it is easier to write about negative events, but that it is also important to look for stories of goodness and hope. He called on the attendees to critically reflect on the content they consume in the media and on social networks, emphasizing the importance of checking the sources of information and recognizing affirmative and destructive content. He recommended digital minimalism to the participants of the Tribuna, i.e. the philosophy of using technology that focuses on quality instead of quantity, with the aim of reducing the time spent on the Internet and increasing the quality of life. The lecture was followed by a discussion in which Prof. Kanižaj answered questions from interested parties.