Young People and Social Media

Last Saturday, as part of Settegiorni, the in-depth programme on Rai Parlamento directed by Antonio Preziosi, a feature was broadcast on a highly topical issue: ‘Young people and social media: how to restrict without banning’. The debate explored the educational challenges posed by early access to digital platforms, citing international regulatory restrictions and the draft legislation currently under discussion in Italy aimed at curbing the early use of social media.

The Innovation Gym as the focus of the debate

To gain a deeper insight into the perspective of those who face this educational challenge on a daily basis, Rai 1’s cameras visited the Innovation Gym at the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. Here, teachers and parents involved in training programmes were interviewed, highlighting concerns linked to phenomena such as cyberbullying, anxiety and the difficulty of distinguishing between the real and the virtual, but above all the strong focus on the educational challenge. Among the key figures featured in the report was our trainer Nicoletta Vulpetti, an expert in communication and digital wellbeing, who offered some practical tips for parents in just a few seconds.

The FMD’s stance: educating in the ‘firtual’

Participation in Settegiorni provided an opportunity to reiterate the Foundation’s stance: prohibition alone is not enough to educate. As emphasised on several occasions by the Director General Mirta Michilli, including in the magazine Agenda Digitale, the aim is an educational approach that guides young people towards mindful use.

It is precisely on this front that the Fondazione Mondo Digitale proposes a specific approach through the concept of ‘firtual’. Whilst the term “onlife” describes the current era in which the physical and digital dimensions are inextricably intertwined, the FMD’s firtual model focuses on a precise pedagogical objective: ‘distinguish in order to integrate’. It is not merely a matter of acknowledging the fusion of the two worlds, but of providing young people with the critical tools to recognise the specific characteristics of each environment, whilst retaining the ability to distinguish between contexts so that they can be integrated in a healthy way into their own development.

Resources and tools for the educational community

To support parents, teachers and educators in this challenge, the Foundation provides various tools:

• Booklet ‘Media and Minors. The FMD Guidelines’: proposes a paradigm shift from control to educational care in the virtual space. Download the booklet here.
• Webinar ‘Call Me Teacher’ with Matteo Lancini: a session dedicated to transforming adult authority in a hyper-connected society. Watch the webinar.
• Training course ‘Growing up between the real and the virtual’: the course curated by Nicoletta Vulpetti with Rizzoli Education, which offers practical advice on digital parenting, moving beyond the idea that the online world lacks real significance. Discover the course.

In a context where scientific evidence highlights the risks of early and excessive use of technology, the Fondazione Mondo Digitale continues to promote informed digital citizenship based on responsibility, empathy and structured dialogue between families and institutions.