A woman with braided hair films a group of women sitting and talking in a bright, cozy room.

About Mind over Media

Mind over Media is a platform and program focused on media literacy, dialogue and youth participation in a time when the line between fact and opinion, real and fake, is increasingly blurred. Mind over Media is an education project supported by EU and Erasmus+.

We believe that polarisation does not arise from differences themselves, but from the absence of real conversations. Mind over Media creates space for those conversations with curiosity as the starting point, not being right as the end goal.

Why Mind over Media exists

Young people are growing up in a digital environment where algorithms largely determine what they see, influencers shape norms, and framing often outweighs facts. This has a direct impact on their self-image, mental wellbeing and their understanding of society. At the same time, many young people feel unheard in social and political discussions that are very much about them.

Mind over Media was created out of the urgency to not only protect young people from negative online influences, but to empower them as critical, conscious and active citizens.

Make it
A group of six children sitting at a table during a recording session in a school gymnasium, with a camera capturing the scene.

What we do

Mind over Media works with young people, not for young people. Young people are not a target group, they are co-creators.

In interactive programmes during school holidays, young people aged 13–21 work on:

  • critically engaging with online content, representation and disinformation

  • recognising the influence of algorithms and framing

  • storytelling and self-representation through podcasts, videos and campaigns

  • open conversations about identity, media and power

Young people co-determine the themes, formats and tone. They create their own content and engage in dialogue with journalists, media professionals and policymakers. In doing so, we reverse traditional roles: young people set the agenda, adults listen.

A girl taking a photo of a boy sitting on a chair with a person looking on, in a classroom with a bulletin board that read 'godsienst' and other children are holding papers.

Our core values

  • Curiosity over judgement – We don’t have to agree to understand one another.

  • Dialogue over debate – Not about winning or losing, but about listening and questioning.

  • Ownership – Young people have agency over their own stories and voices.

  • Safety & inclusion – Space for difference, doubt and growth.

The vision behind Mind over Media

A young man standing on a stage giving a thumbs-up gesture, next to a large display screen showing a presentation slide with the name ILIAS ADMI and a photo of himself speaking into a microphone.

Impact

Mind over Media contributes to:

  • stronger media and digital literacy skills

  • increased self-confidence and mental resilience

  • visibility of youth voices in media and policy

  • meaningful connections between young people, professionals and decision-makers

The formats developed are transferable and are used at local, national and European levels within education, youth work and social organisations.

Mind over Media was founded on the belief that a healthy society depends on our ability to hold multiple perspectives at the same time. By making visible how media shapes the way we think, young people, and adults, learn to observe, listen and respond more consciously.

We are building a generation that does not automatically follow the loudest voice, but learns to slow down, question and connect.

Not to convince each other — but to stay connected.