Tagline: GreenTruth Digital Lab aims to help Turkish youth distinguish facts from misinformation
Excerpt: Young people in Türkiye are surrounded by environmental information every day. GreenTruth Digital Lab aims to help them distinguish facts from misinformation and become more confident digital citizens.
One social media post claims that climate change is exaggerated. Another promotes a product as “100 percent sustainable.” A third argues that recycling has little impact on the environment. For many young people in Türkiye, these conflicting messages appear on their screens every day, and the challenge is deciding what to trust.
When members of GreenTruth Digital Lab spoke with young people in Bolu, a city in northwestern Türkiye known for its forests and natural beauty, they noticed a common pattern. Most participants cared deeply about environmental issues. They followed climate-related content, watched environmental videos, and discussed sustainability online. Yet many admitted they were not always sure whether the information they encountered was reliable.
One university student said:
“Sometimes I see two completely different claims about the same environmental issue. Both look professional and convincing. I often don’t know which one is correct.”
This uncertainty reflects a broader challenge facing young people across the world. Social media has become one of the main sources of information about climate change. At the same time, digital platforms are increasingly filled with misinformation, greenwashing campaigns, and misleading narratives that can distort public understanding.
For young people, this creates a difficult environment. The problem is not a lack of information but an overwhelming amount of information of varying quality.
Without the skills to verify sources and evaluate evidence, it becomes harder to make informed decisions and participate confidently in discussions about environmental issues.
This reality inspired the creation of GreenTruth Digital Lab, a project developed by YERKÜRE – From Local to Global Sustainable Development Association in Bolu, Türkiye.
Listening before acting
Before designing GreenTruth Digital Lab, the founders of the project wanted to understand how young people were experiencing this challenge.
During informal conversations and needs assessments, participants repeatedly mentioned that they relied heavily on social media for environmental information. Many said they trusted content based on popularity rather than source credibility. Others admitted they rarely checked where information originated before sharing it with friends or family.
One participant explained:
“If a post is shared by people I follow and trust, I usually assume it is correct. I never really thought about checking the original source.”
These conversations revealed that environmental misinformation was not an abstract concept but rather something that shaped everyday digital behavior.
The project therefore focused on an important goal: helping young people develop practical skills to question and evaluate environmental information.
From passive consumers to critical thinkers
GreenTruth Digital Lab combines environmental awareness, media literacy, and digital citizenship.
Rather than telling participants what to think, the project encourages them to ask questions.
Who created this content?
What evidence supports the claim?
Can the information be verified through reliable sources?
Why was this content published?
Through workshops, discussions, and digital learning materials, participants explore how misinformation spreads online and how they can respond more critically and responsibly.
One participant described the experience as eye-opening:
“I realized that misinformation is not always obvious. Sometimes it looks professional and trustworthy. Learning how to verify information made me feel much more confident.”
Another participant reflected on a personal change:
“Before, I would immediately share environmental posts if I agreed with them. Now I stop and check where the information comes from first.”
While these changes may seem small, they represent something important. Digital resilience is built through everyday habits.
When young people learn how to verify information, they often share these skills with classmates, friends, family members, and online communities. Knowledge spreads beyond the workshop itself and
a young person who learns to question a misleading environmental claim today may help dozens of others become more critical information consumers tomorrow.
Looking ahead
The real impact of GreenTruth Digital Lab will not be measured only by the number of workshops delivered or resources created.
As environmental challenges become increasingly global and digital spaces continue to shape public understanding, the ability to navigate information responsibly is becoming an essential civic skill.
The experience in Bolu has shown that young people want reliable information and practical tools to distinguish the facts about climate change from various forms of misinformation. .
