Dr Leali Osmančević at International Conference on Children, Youth and Media in Madrid

From 14 to 17 October, Dr Leali Osmančević, Senior Assistant at the University Department of Communication Studies, participated in the international conference “Children, Youth and Media in the Algorithm Conundrum of Play, Polarization and Hate” held in Madrid. The conference was organized by ECREA within the thematic section Children, Youth and Media (CYM), in cooperation with Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), Villanueva University (Spain), and University of Salamanca (Spain).

In her presentation titled “From YouTube Kids Thumbnails to Critical Viewing: Empowering Children’s Visual and Algorithmic Literacy in the Digital Age,” Dr Osmančević examined how algorithmic recommendations and visual patterns influence the way children perceive and engage with media content on the YouTube Kids platform.

Her research highlights the need for an integrated educational approach to visual and algorithmic literacy — one that enables children to think critically about media messages and to understand how algorithms shape their media choices. The study underscores the importance of education that prepares children for critical understanding of digital content and mindful media use in everyday life.