Where does opinion end and advertising begin? How much influence can a single social media post have? And what responsibility do influencers carry toward the people who follow them every day?
Slovak primary and secondary school students addressed these questions in the first edition of the nationwide competition called “Responsible Influencer“, which was announced by the Council for Media Services under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic. The competition was launched to mark the occasion of Media Education Weeks 2026, an initiative organised by One World in Schools (JSNS.cz).
A total of 104 children and young people from 25 schools across Slovakia participated in the competition. They created 31 audio and video entries addressing topics such as advertising on social media, manipulation in the online space, the credibility of influencers, and the pressure the internet places on appearance and self-worth.
“These young people captured the world of influencers and how it affects their daily lives in a very sensitive manner. Girls in particular often brought up topics like beauty, comparing themselves to others, pressure regarding appearance, and the feeling that we must always appear perfect online. It was crucial for us to create a space where students could openly discuss these topics in their own words,” said Viktória Norisová, media literacy coordinator at the Council for Media Services.
The winners were selected by a jury composed of media professionals. The jury evaluated not only the technical quality of the entries, but also their originality, how well they adhered to the selected genre, and their ability to critically engage with the topic.
Greenfluencer and video jury member Natália Pažická particularly appreciated that many teams had thought about how their content would work directly on social media. “Even though it was the first year (of the competition), many of the entries were of very high quality, and it was clear that the young participants had given the topic a lot of thought. I particularly appreciated the entries that managed to engage the viewer without losing the point.“
According to Martina Bolibruchová, a co-founder of the Zmudri educational platform, the strongest entries were those that went beyond the surface of the topic. “They often didn’t stop at the fact that an influencer failed to label an advertisement. They reflected on what an influencer’s responsibility actually entails and what impact their content can have on people. Those moments, when they went beyond the obvious and explored the issue more deeply, stood out to me the most,” she said.
Barbora Okruhľanská from the Digital Parents project, who was a member of the audio jury, points out that influencers play a very specific role in the lives of young people today. “For many children and teenagers, influencers are natural role models. They often perceive them more as older friends or siblings than as content creators. That is why it is important to talk about the fact that communication on social media also has rules and that influence comes with a certain degree of responsibility.“
The judges also noted that many teams did not focus solely on technical execution, but also considered the actual impact of the content on the audience. Several entries explored the credibility of influencers and demonstrated that the creators are capable of critically reflecting on the online space, including through their own experiences. It was also interesting to see that the young people intuitively worked with various content formats, ranging from reports and vlogs to podcasts and skits.
In the VIDEO category – primary schools, the following teams received awards:
1st place – Team Miki: Katolícka spojená škola sv. Mikuláša, Prešov
2nd place – Team Sudcovia z Instagramu: Spojená škola Svätej rodiny, Bratislava
3rd place – Team Včielky: Evanjelické gymnázium J. A. Komenského, Košice
In the VIDEO – secondary schools category, the following teams received awards:
1st place – Team Influenceri Hotelovky, Hotelová akadémia, Južná trieda, Košice
2nd place – Mária Kovaleva, Spojená škola Svätej rodiny, Bratislava
3rd place – Gymnázium Šrobárova, Košice
In the AUDIO category – primary schools, the following teams received awards:
1st place – Team Hronkáčsky Insider, ZŠ J.C. Hronského, Šaľa
2nd place – Team Šturcast Pochop, Gymnázium Ľ. Štúra, Zvolen
3rd place – Team Kudlovcast, Základná škola s materskou školou, Skalité
In the AUDIO – secondary schools category, the TaTri team from Trebišovská 12 High School in Košice won.
In addition to prizes, the winning teams will also receive a workshop with professionals from Czech Television and Slovak Radio at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. They will also meet with jury members Ondřej Hruška, Slávka Grácová, and Jana Balková, who will provide them with feedback and recommendations for their future work.
Each participating team will receive a certificate, the Responsible Influencer poster, and feedback from the jury, aiming to encourage young creators to continue working with media and social media content.
The competition was organised as part of Media Education Weeks 2026. Schools, libraries, and organizations from across Slovakia are invited to participate in this initiative.
Winning entries are also available on the Media Services Council’s YouTube channel.