Sai da Bolha Project Launches Second Edition

The “Sai da Bolha” (“Step Out of the Bubble”) project, promoted by the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim in partnership with MeLCiLab researcher Margarida Maneta, has officially launched its second edition.

This year, four secondary school classes from public schools across the municipality have been challenged to create materials addressing algorithms, information bubbles, and disinformation, while also encouraging critical reflection against the normalisation of hate speech and discrimination.

The initiative invites young people to explore how digital platforms shape the information they consume and how algorithmic systems influence online experiences. Through creative formats such as videos, quizzes, comics, short stories, and illustrations, students are encouraged to critically engage with the invisible dynamics behind social media feeds.

The first edition of the project, developed during the previous academic year, resulted in the publication of a booklet that remains available online.

“From videos to quizzes, comics, short stories and drawings, the project creatively portrays what lies behind our feeds. If the algorithm can choose what we see, our invitation is to choose to go further: Step Out of the Bubble!” reads the initiative’s concept statement.

By fostering media and information literacy among young people, the project continues to promote critical thinking, digital citizenship, and awareness of the social impacts of online information environments.