Research Report of Project VEGA 1/0192/18 Formation of Attitudes of Generation Y in the V4 Geographic Area to the Issue of Migrants Through Digital Communication on Social Networks

The refugee crisis and the rising number of asylum seekers is one of the primary concerns of the EU. Political discussions reflect humanitarian, social and economic implications of the constant influx of new asylum seekers coming mainly from Syria. Within the political sphere in the V4 countries it is possible to observe negative attitudes. In this context, it is very important to emphasize that we are living in a democratic society, where media represent the role of democracy guardians. On the other hand, social media offer space for expression to the general public opinions, and their potential is also fully exploited by political leaders. The potential of social media must be perceived also against the backdrop of risks stemming mainly from disinformation and manipulative tendencies. In order to identify and clarify the presence of manipulative techniques in the communication of political and social groups to the attitudes of Generation Y in the sphere of migrant tolerance we present some introductory findings under the scope of project VEGA 1/0192/18.