Countering Digital Toxicity: The HATE-LESS Approach at Erasmus Days 2026
Tackling online disinformation and digital hostility requires more than abstract policy. It demands practical tools that youth workers and educators can deploy directly in the classroom.
During the recent Erasmus Days 2026, Ruta Pels from our partner organisation Eesti People to People took the virtual stage to share exactly how the HATE-LESS project is achieving this. Speaking to coordinators from various European initiatives, the session focused on exchanging field-tested practices that foster empathy and active civic engagement online.
Field-Tested Tools for Youth Workers
The presentation highlighted the core of our initiative: the HATE-LESS Toolkit. This resource provides youth workers with concrete methodologies to train young people in media literacy, critical thinking, and digital verification. Rather than simply warning students about the dangers of the internet, the toolkit empowers them to dissect harmful narratives and respond safely.
Real Classroom Impact in Tallinn
Theory only matters when it works in practice. To demonstrate the real-world application of the toolkit, the session showcased the successful pilot training conducted at Tallinn Tõnismäe Reaalkool in Estonia.
Students at the school did not just consume information. They actively developed their own counter-narrative videos. By scripting and filming role-play scenarios, the teenagers addressed peer pressure and online bullying directly, proving that peer-to-peer education is highly effective in changing digital behaviour.
The Hummingbird Concept
A key takeaway from the session was the active bystander approach, illustrated by the “hummingbird” concept. When facing a massive forest fire, the hummingbird does what it can, carrying single drops of water. In the context of digital hate, this reminds young people that no intervention is too small. Every single voice that speaks up against toxicity makes a tangible difference.
Erasmus Days celebrate collaboration across Europe. By sharing these practical tools and student-led successes, the HATE-LESS consortium ensures that educators across the continent have the resources to build safer digital environments.
Official Website of the HATE-LESS Project: https://hate-less.eu
Consortium Partners:
- EUROPEAN YOUTH4MEDIA NETWORK EV – Germany: https://youth4media.eu/
- EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE – Estonia https://www.ptpest.ee/
- MITRA FRANCE – France: https://www.facebook.com/mitrafr/
- Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL – Spain: https://ea.consulting/
- WAVES FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION – Cyprus: https://www.wavesfoundation.org/
Funding Agency: JUGEND für Europa
Project: 2024-1-DE04-KA220-YOU-000244181
Disclaimer: Co-financed by the European Union. The opinions and points of view expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the JUGEND für Europa (German National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth, Erasmus+ Sport and the European Solidarity Corps).
