Quo Vadis 2026: Between Chaos and Responsibility
Dear colleagues, we would like to invite you to the international scientific conference of the Faculty of Mass Media Communication of the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava entitled QUO VADIS 2025: Value & Experience.
The scientific event is intended for PhD students and young scientists. Following other editions of the QUO VADIS scientific conference, this year we are also organizing stimulating discussions in two interrelated and seamlessly connecter blocks - in person, at the Faculty of Mass Media Communication of the UCM in Trnava, but also via online streaming.
Central Theme
The central theme of this year’s conference is an analysis of the tension between the dynamics of the contemporary digital ecosystem and the growing demand for more ethical, transparent, and socially responsible practices in media, marketing, and digital games. In recent years, these fields have been shaped by accelerated technological development, increasing platformization, and intense competition for audience attention. The result is an environment marked by high levels of information overload, rapid circulation of content, and a growing use of mechanisms designed to deliberately stimulate users’ attention, emotions, or behaviour.
This development simultaneously creates significant tension between two opposing trends. On one side is the pressure arising from the attention economy, the fragmentation of the public sphere, the spread of problematic narratives, the commercialization of social media, gamified mechanisms that reinforce habitual or addictive behaviours, and the expanding influence of disinformation. On the other side, however, various initiatives seek to cultivate and stabilize the media and communication environment. These include projects focused on socially responsible marketing, fact-checking and professional information verification, media and digital literacy, as well as efforts to promote ethical and transparent practices within the gaming industry.
The audiences consuming this content are increasingly diverse and technologically skilled, yet also vulnerable to phenomena such as doomscrolling, FOMO, information overload, filter bubble effects, and algorithmically driven content flows. Psychological, sociological, and cultural factors therefore play an increasingly significant role in shaping how individuals consume content, make decisions between competing stimuli, and construct their relationship to media and brands.
What will you get out of the conference?
The conference will focus on discussing and analysing the mechanisms and strategies behind the current pressure on audience attention within the media, marketing, and gaming sectors. It will examine how these industries influence people’s behaviour, perception, and decision-making. Topics will include rising polarization, the spread of problematic narratives, the use of gamification and behavioural techniques, and the impact of information overload on everyday life.
At the same time, the conference will highlight initiatives that counterbalance these phenomena. Discussions will address activities related to media literacy, fact-checking, socially responsible marketing, and the role of educational games. Participants will gain an overview of how negative effects can be mitigated and what solutions help foster trust, quality, and sustainability in the media, marketing, and gaming environment.
Doctoral students, early-career researchers, and industry professionals will discuss the challenges of the current landscape and ways to minimize its negative impacts. Particular emphasis will be placed on psychological resilience to manipulative content, the adaptation of creative approaches in marketing communication, and the potential of digital games and their elements within this field.
The aim of the conference is to expand professional and academic dialogue in the areas of media, marketing, and digital games, draw attention to current problematic developments, and present approaches that lead to a more responsible environment. The event will support young researchers in sharing their findings and engaging in discussions on topics that significantly shape contemporary communication.
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