Progetti di ricerca

The spread of digital technologies (DTs) on the planet has been remarkable. In this regard, psychological research has mainly focused on technological addiction and pathological behaviors. In our view, existing research failed to consider the fundamental drive of success for… Leggi tutto DTs for the largest part of the population, the need for social connections. This need is also evidenced by the tendency to anthropomorphize non-human agents, such as DTs. When can DTs satisfy our species’ innate need for belonging, favor social bonds and social cohesion? And when can DTs hinder them, increasing loneliness, exclusion, aggression, and social isolation? Even when the effects on sociality were considered, existing research remained anchored to a dichotomous view of DTs’ positive vs. negative effects, failing to appreciate a digital transformation’s paradigm shift on human connections that might be occurring. Moreover, although such a revolution affects all ages and contexts, adolescents might be the most involved in this technological revolution. This implies the need for special attention to two settings, family and school, which influence how young people grow. However, especially in Italy, parents and teachers often lack the necessary digital skills and guidelines for teaching their children and students healthy interactions with DTs. In this scenario, the primary goal of CONNECT is to investigate the influence of DTs on social connectedness and isolation. The impacts of various DTs will be considered, including already widespread (e.g., smartphones, social media) and frontier ones (e.g., social chatbots, social robots, and virtual reality). Adopting multiple methods (secondary analyses, surveys, sentiment analysis, experimental research, field research, qualitative studies, randomized controlled trials), CONNECT aims to provide a deeper understanding of (1) the impact of DTs on social connectedness and isolation across different ages and social groups, (2) how DTs can interfere, foster, and change social connectedness, (3) the key role of (de)humanizing processes with and through DTs, (4) factors that can promote healthy use of DTs in adolescents, parents, and teachers, developing research-based interventions, and (5) how we can engage stakeholders on healthy use of DTs. CONNECT will be coordinated by a team of young psychologists at the University of Milano-Bicocca and jointly implemented by two closely collaborating research units (University of Genova and University of Padova), each with distinct project-relevant expertise and facilities. Given the high practical relevance, our findings will be communicated to distinct audiences, including academic researchers and key stakeholders: end-users of DT, community frontline groups (including teachers and parents), treatment and welfare providers, industry, and policy-makers.