Australia bans social media for under 16s, in Italy half of young people would agree, here's why

What would happen if in Italy, as in Australia, the use of social media were banned for under-16s? The measure taken in these hours on the other side of the world would surprisingly find supporters in our latitudes even among those directly concerned. 47% of young Italians between the ages of 10 and 24 would be in favour of restricting the use of smartphones up to the age of 14 and of social media up to the age of 16. And if this concept is more acceptable for those who have already reached that age, it is striking that 1 in 3 of those who have yet to reach it also agree. This is revealed by the annual survey conducted by the National Association Di.Te. (Technological Addictions, Gap and Cyberbullying Di.Te.) in collaboration with the student portal Skuola.net - on a sample of 2,510 Italian girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 24 - on the occasion of the National Day Against Technological Addictions, called by the same association for 30 November.
A survey that highlights the increasingly close link between what happens in the digital dimension and its effects in the analogue one, starting from the corporeity. So much so as to rewrite the famous Latin motto: Mens (in)sana in corpore sano.
On the one hand, in fact, there is the desire to take care of the body: 1 in 2 practise sport regularly (47.9%) and follow a balanced diet (45.2%); a number that expands to 3 young people out of 4 if we consider those who occasionally make an effort on this front. On the other hand, however, the mind often sends out alarm signals about its state of health: as many as 7 out of 10 (69%) admit to finding it harder to relate with others in the analogue world due to excessive use of social networks.

The reduced ability to relate 'vis a vis' is reflected in an increasing absence of flesh-and-blood friends: 26.8% have no significant ties cultivated on a regular basis with encounters outside digital platforms. And in the reduced ability to get out of the house: 14.4% often if not always struggle to meet their friends live. "These data - underlines Professor Giuseppe Lavenia, psychologist and psychotherapist, president of Di.Te. - gives us a portrait of a generation that is aware of the importance of authentic relationships and good habits, but at the same time immersed in a reality that amplifies insecurities and loneliness'.

In this dangerous drift, the influence of digital is evident: 49.3% of young people admit to feeling influenced by what they see on social media, while 34.2% often feel sad or dissatisfied after prolonged use of social platforms. "Here lies the key," comments Daniele Grassucci, director of Skuola.net, "to the apparent contrast between the search for physical wellbeing and mental malaise: in fact, 36% of the sample admits that their relationship with their bodies is inextricably linked to the models proposed by social media. The search for a 'post physical' is also part of the effects of the digital diet'.
But that is not enough: the cure for these moods is sought in their cause. In fact, people often visit social networks to manage moods such as sadness or anger (58%) or frustration/disappointment (54.4%).

A knock-on effect that has repercussions beyond the online experience. "The most worrying passage of the research," warns Lavenia, "is linked to another aspect: the management of emotions and the perception of tomorrow. In fact, 62.3% of girls and boys confess to having difficulty imagining their future lives. A difficulty that, moreover, grows with age. We live in an age where everything is instantaneous, and this immediacy seems to stifle the ability to plan for the long term. Social media, which should be a tool, often become a refuge that, however, amplifies frustration and dissatisfaction'.

Going into more detail, the perception of the (negative) influence of social media varies considerably between genders: while 65% of girls feel conditioned by what they see online, among boys it stops at 31%. This is why, according to the psychologist, "it is essential to work on educational paths that help girls develop greater self-esteem, offering them tools to critically read online content and combat insecurities".
"The situation is even worse," Grassucci confirms, "if we limit ourselves to measuring the impact of social media on the relationship with one's body: it is relevant according to 47% of the girls surveyed and only 18% of the male counterpart. A good start could be to accompany young people in 'managing' the platforms from which so much insecurity springs. Because there are too many who abuse them: 53.4% spend between 1 and 3 hours a day there.