Somewhere between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the European Union, the board game Don’t Get Confused, Man (“Čovječe, ne zbuni se”) was created as a tool to help older people develop media literacy skills and use the internet more safely.
“The game was developed at the beginning of 2025 as part of an educational pilot programme on media literacy for older people launched by the Mediacentar Foundation Sarajevo within the activities of the Naš Most Association. My aim was to bring media literacy closer to older people in a way that would not feel like a lecture or a school lesson, but rather as something familiar, relaxed and enjoyable. It turned out that older generations know the game well and are very happy to play it,” explains Lidija Pikser, a freelance journalist working in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy.
Data from the study Media Habits of Adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) show that around 40 per cent of people over the age of 65 use social media, while more than half of respondents do not verify information they encounter online. Pikser says she was particularly concerned by the finding that 63,16 per cent of respondents aged over 65 use social media to follow news and political topics, while 61,05 per cent follow content related to health and medicine.
“From this, it became clear to me how important these subjects are in the everyday lives of older people. That is why I incorporated them into the game through three groups of challenges: Check the Source, Click with Caution and Recognise Fake News. Each group contains ten questions inspired by real conversations and the experiences of members of the association. The reactions were extremely positive because people felt they could learn without pressure and without fear of making mistakes. I was particularly interested to see how much the game encourages discussion, the exchange of experiences and mutual co-operation among participants,” says Pikser, adding that during the testing phase she adjusted the questions, the pace of the game and the examples she uses in response to players’ feedback.
“That is why I like to say that the game is ‘alive’. Older people have enormous life experience, but they often lack confidence in the digital environment. Through developing the game, I learned how important it is to adapt the way we communicate to the audience we are addressing, as well as how essential humour, empathy and patience are in the learning process. I also realised that people learn best when they feel they are participating as equals, without fear of being ridiculed or of not knowing something,” says Pikser, stressing that she believes the game works because it opens up space, through play, to discuss serious issues.
Maida Muminović, Executive Director of the Mediacentar Foundation Sarajevo, recalls that the foundation has been developing media and information literacy programmes for the past ten years. During that time, it has worked with young people, teachers, parents and educators, and since the coronavirus pandemic it has been developing programmes specifically designed for older citizens.
“Developing an educational programme that responds to users’ needs and addresses the challenges of today’s media environment requires extensive research, learning, establishing contacts with user groups and building trust. For such work to be successful, it requires continuity, consistency and the time needed to connect with groups and individuals. It was precisely in this way – by bringing together remarkable people, encouraging expert collaboration and testing the concept in a real-life environment – that the board game Don’t Get Confused, Man was created. In this effort to preserve and ensure continuity, funding and co-financing from the European Union have played a significant role,” says Muminović.
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (known in English as Ludo) is one of the world’s most popular board games. It traces its origins to ancient India and acquired its modern form in Germany at the beginning of the twentieth century, when it was patented by Josef Friedrich Schmidt. It subsequently became a staple in almost every German household before spreading across Europe and the rest of the world.
“We borrowed the first board from a children’s version of the game, then drew our own and printed it at a local copy shop. The final version was designed by Vanja Lazić,” says Pikser.
So far, the game has been presented in Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In both countries, I notice a very similar sense of uncertainty when it comes to recognising disinformation and using digital media safely. That is why I plan to test the game in Italy with intergenerational teams of grandmothers, grandfathers and grandchildren, because I believe that playing together can create space for a much more honest and natural conversation about the media and the internet,” Pikser announces.
Media literacy is important for all generations, but it is particularly significant for older people because they are less frequently included in training on digital tools and, due to limited knowledge, are more exposed to scams, fake news and manipulative content. In Western European countries, there are numerous programmes and initiatives aimed at improving older people’s digital skills and media literacy. These are often supported through European projects offering training sessions and workshops, e-learning platforms for independent study, and peer-to-peer education, where older people learn from one another or with the support of younger volunteers. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, much still depends on individual initiatives and civil society organisations. Don’t Get Confused, Man is available to anyone wishing to use it in their work at www.lidijapisker.com. It can be used as a stand-alone activity or as part of a broader educational programme. The questions can be adapted to different groups and needs.
“From this, it became clear to me how important these subjects are in the everyday lives of older people. That is why I incorporated them into the game through three groups of challenges: Check the Source, Click with Caution and Recognise Fake News. Each group contains ten questions inspired by real conversations and the experiences of members of the association. The reactions were extremely positive because people felt they could learn without pressure and without fear of making mistakes. I was particularly interested to see how much the game encourages discussion, the exchange of experiences and mutual co-operation among participants,” says Pikser, adding that during the testing phase she adjusted the questions, the pace of the game and the examples she uses in response to players’ feedback.
“That is why I like to say that the game is ‘alive’. Older people have enormous life experience, but they often lack confidence in the digital environment. Through developing the game, I learned how important it is to adapt the way we communicate to the audience we are addressing, as well as how essential humour, empathy and patience are in the learning process. I also realised that people learn best when they feel they are participating as equals, without fear of being ridiculed or of not knowing something,” says Pikser, stressing that she believes the game works because it opens up space, through play, to discuss serious issues.
Maida Muminović, Executive Director of the Mediacentar Foundation Sarajevo, recalls that the foundation has been developing media and information literacy programmes for the past ten years. During that time, it has worked with young people, teachers, parents and educators, and since the coronavirus pandemic it has been developing programmes specifically designed for older citizens.
“Developing an educational programme that responds to users’ needs and addresses the challenges of today’s media environment requires extensive research, learning, establishing contacts with user groups and building trust. For such work to be successful, it requires continuity, consistency and the time needed to connect with groups and individuals. It was precisely in this way – by bringing together remarkable people, encouraging expert collaboration and testing the concept in a real-life environment – that the board game Don’t Get Confused, Man was created. In this effort to preserve and ensure continuity, funding and co-financing from the European Union have played a significant role,” says Muminović.
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (known in English as Ludo) is one of the world’s most popular board games. It traces its origins to ancient India and acquired its modern form in Germany at the beginning of the twentieth century, when it was patented by Josef Friedrich Schmidt. It subsequently became a staple in almost every German household before spreading across Europe and the rest of the world.
“We borrowed the first board from a children’s version of the game, then drew our own and printed it at a local copy shop. The final version was designed by Vanja Lazić,” says Pikser.
So far, the game has been presented in Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In both countries, I notice a very similar sense of uncertainty when it comes to recognising disinformation and using digital media safely. That is why I plan to test the game in Italy with intergenerational teams of grandmothers, grandfathers and grandchildren, because I believe that playing together can create space for a much more honest and natural conversation about the media and the internet,” Pikser announces.
Media literacy is important for all generations, but it is particularly significant for older people because they are less frequently included in training on digital tools and, due to limited knowledge, are more exposed to scams, fake news and manipulative content. In Western European countries, there are numerous programmes and initiatives aimed at improving older people’s digital skills and media literacy. These are often supported through European projects offering training sessions and workshops, e-learning platforms for independent study, and peer-to-peer education, where older people learn from one another or with the support of younger volunteers. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, much still depends on individual initiatives and civil society organisations. Don’t Get Confused, Man is available to anyone wishing to use it in their work at www.lidijapisker.com. It can be used as a stand-alone activity or as part of a broader educational programme. The questions can be adapted to different groups and needs.
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