The meeting brought together several hundred Grodno residents from different generations and professions in the hall of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, including entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, and employees from various organizations and enterprises of the city. The format of the event was an open dialogue at its most candid.
At the start of the conversation with residents of the city on the Neman, Dmitry Zhuk emphasized that Belarusians have the opportunity to pass on to the next generations everything that has been built over the past 30 years. He stressed that everything Belarusians have today has been achieved together under the leadership of the head of state.
The topics raised by Grodno residents touched on a wide range of areas: digital literacy and online hygiene, the influence of popular social media on children and young people, mechanisms for identifying fake news, neural networks, the promotion of blue-collar professions, and more.
Oksana, an employee of the city bus depot, asked whether state-run media are adapting to the current reality, noting that most people now get their information from TikTok, Telegram, and other social platforms. «How do you reach your audience and convey information to today’s users?» she asked the minister.
Dmitry Zhuk pointed out that people turn to social media for entertainment, not for information. «99% of the time we spend holding a smartphone, we are entertaining ourselves. The device controls us 100% of that time. Was it given to us so we could live cool and easy lives? No. It was given to us so that we could be controlled: our interests, our purchases,» the minister said. Dmitry Zhuk added that it is crucial to be extremely cautious with the information people consume from social media, urging listeners to pause after an initial emotional reaction to a video or post, put down the phone and come back to it 20 minutes later. «You would be amazed at how different your second reaction will be from the first,» he said. «Under the influence of emotions, we cannot make a balanced, rational decision. What’s more, we end up acting in the interests of whoever triggered that emotion.» Dmitry Zhuk also stressed the importance of digital hygiene and teaching children to practice it.
Speaking about reaching audiences, Dmitry Zhuk noted that state media are present both in traditional formats — print, television, radio and also online, on social media. «We are there and in traditional media. Our advantage is this: on our own territory, we will no longer let outsiders in. It is us who will be working here,» he said.
Viktoria, an employee of a Grodno enterprise, raised the issue of restricting and regulating advertising for online casinos, noting that similar measures had already been taken with tobacco and alcohol. In her view, gambling addiction is no less destructive and equally addictive as alcohol and cigarettes.
«This is already being regulated. There are extreme measures, banning it outright,» Dmitry Zhuk replied. «Today, the money from this goes into the state coffers if it’s on billboards, on television, in other real, physical environments. We can ban it there, but we cannot ban it on TikTok. It’s on this money that sports clubs exist and many other good projects are funded.» The information minister pointed out that if such advertising were removed, for example, from television, it would still appear on other platforms. «Belarusians have a remarkable quality. We are perfectionists, we strive to achieve absolute purity. But a person raised in absolute purity has no immunity. I’m not talking about health, I’m talking about mentality,» Dmitry Zhuk said, stressing that complete isolation would not solve the problem. «Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. It only fuels curiosity. This is a very delicate balance. The state keeps a close eye on it.»
A participant from a Grodno-based company, Yevgeny, asked the minister how managers can avoid losing sight of strategic priorities amid the constant flow of events. «What are the key objectives in the mediascape today?» he asked.
«Our main task is to give society the broadest possible access to diverse information so that people can make their own informed decisions. And, we must protect society from extremist and other destructive content, which, unfortunately, is inevitable during information warfare, including in our country. This should be achieved, avoiding bans as much as possible. No ban can ever be 100% effective, especially in the digital environment. That is why we need to educate, explain and shape attitudes. Above all, everyone working in the information sector should focus on one overarching mission: the constructive development of our country and society. Whether it is an agricultural blogger, a young scientist or a veteran sharing the history of their family with children, what matters to me is preserving and passing on our cultural identity and inspiring society to create and build,» the minister said.
Dmitry Milko, a lathe operator at Tsvetlit Unitary Enterprise, asked how skilled trades could be made more attractive to young people. «Most young people do not see themselves working at a machine tool. But the world has changed, technology has changed, and skilled trades have changed as well. Today’s jobs require a completely different level of qualification,» Dmitry Zhuk said. He noted that Belarus has preserved and rebuilt its network of schools and colleges for young people who want to pursue skilled trades. He stressed that much is already being done to promote such careers, adding that everyone has the right to choose their own professional path.
After the meeting, Dmitry Milko said: «It was interesting to listen to someone you do not often get the chance to meet. The discussion focused on relevant issues, with specific questions and specific answers.» The authors of the most thought-provoking and challenging questions received books from the minister as gifts.
Summing up the meeting with Grodno residents, Dmitry Zhuk said people are eager for direct communication. «People want dialogue. Not a virtual one, but face-to-face, exactly as our head of state has been calling for. There were around 15 questions, if not more, on a wide range of topics. They all came down to one issue — how we should continue developing our country and society while preserving and building on what has already been achieved.»
«People are concerned about education and upbringing, of course. There were no major questions about housing and utility services, apart from those related to the heavy downpour in Grodno. Such issues arise from time to time at other meetings as well. We do not see any critical systemic problems that would indicate serious shortcomings. Of course, there are areas that need improvement and there is always room to do better. But overall, people are talking about normal everyday life, and that is very important to me both as a person and as a minister. Even the more critical questions are asked not to attack the authorities, but because people want these problems solved. They believe that the state, the authorities are capable of addressing these issues and delivering results,» Dmitry Zhuk said.
