“We Should Learn from the Ants”

“I am a human being in search of connections. The work I do responds to the profound need to seek contact with others. My father worked in a publishing house so I grew up surrounded by words, but if he had had a business in contact with the public, I probably would have taken advantage of that to talk to all the customers. It's what drives me out in the morning. I want to listen to other people's stories. So, I give words back to the people who open up to me, I help them focus on their story,” explains Nicoletta Vulpetti, a storyteller who has been a long-term collaborator of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and is also a coach for Fully Enjoy the Internet.

“After receiving my degree in communications, I worked for an international public relations agency where I learned a lot about companies and business groups, with a collaborative and enthusiastic staff. Then, in 2018, at 47, I decided to change career and work at a different pace, because I think you need a slower pace to tell the truth. So, I took a course to teach Italian to foreigners and began to gain experience with new media. I have been contacted by many companies for different, generative work experiences.”

My approach to social media was first and foremost personal. I have always sought connections, using writing as a means of expression. I carefully evaluated which contacts to accept, only selecting requests from people similar to me, whom I already knew in physical reality. Over time, thanks to this strategy, I domesticated my algorithm, carefully selecting my likes and comments. I welcome people who provide value. It is the same approach I use at work. I only accept assignments that allow this modus operandi for digital storytelling. I use words respectfully, not falsely. I have to believe what I write,” Nicoletta explains to Onelia Onorati, who conducted this interview. 

My collaboration with Project Fully Enjoy the Internet began during the lockdown, during the pandemic. “The objective of the project, to consciously enjoy digital tools, perfectly suits my way of working. One of its most important elements, from my point of view, is that it asks people to look at digital tools, not as a world without consequences, but as a dimension in which they can tell their stories and find meaningful connections. I like to think of it as a rewarding tool for self-expression. Moreover, we must think that we are now hybrids. We live in a double dimension that requires extensive civic education. In a world of bits, we need to be even more careful and respectful of the rules!

Nicoletta feels very involved not only on a professional, but also on a personal level. “It takes a village to raise a child, and as a mother of teenage daughters I think I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't shared parenting with other adults. Today's parents have to manage their role in a double dimension and cannot renounce their function as guides.” She continues with a personal episode: “I'll give you an example. In middle school, my first daughter was the only one in her class to go on a trip abroad. I relied on the teachers to guide and accompany her. This astonished the other parents, who did not trust sending their children on a trip abroad with the school at such a young age. However, they do not show this concern when it comes to TikTok, an uncontrollable and unknown dimension for a parent. I think you can't leave kids that young alone on TikTok! Being a parent means never giving up one’s responsibilities but knowing how to accompany young people in this world! Fully Enjoy the Internet can be the needed adult in the village.”

But how can we counteract social media trends, such as the increasingly precocious phenomena of solicitation and cyberbullying? “We need to work positively. When we make our public understand what is good about social media, the negative part fades into the background. If we take care of our environment, the risks are reduced. Digital platforms are an environment for nurturing human relationships, not destroying them. However, there are different ages to deal with such experiences. Pre-adolescents should not access social media with their parents’ approval! Just as it is illegal to hold official roles before the age of 18, digital action must be monitored. Project Fully Enjoy the Internet supports parents in saying “no” and protecting young men and women as is necessary for their growth.”

As the years passed, Nicoletta's contribution to the project also developed further. “Starting in 2020, I began contributing to the definition of contents, from kind communication to the use of digital tools with common sense and the rules for safe surfing. In the last year and a half, I have focused more on storytelling, to stimulate the ability to describe oneself and reality in an adequate manner. An example: teaching a boy not to show himself in videos on social media, but to turn the camera to reveal things from his point of view.”

“I love going to schools and being there. Wonderful things happen,” continues Nicoletta. “In a middle school, I asked the kids to tell me their story through an object. They were all eager to do it. One girl, in particular, wrote her story down. She told me about her panic attacks, and I told her teacher about them. It was a way to raise a problem. We should learn from the ants, who build rafts in the rain with their little legs by joining together. Project Fully Enjoy the Internet teaches this: how to reach out to others and help everyone reach a safe harbour.”