The course Childhood, Adolescence, and New Media aims to provide a critical and interdisciplinary understanding of the relationship between developmental growth and digital culture. The main educational objective is to promote the ability to analyze the impact of new media on growth, socialization, and learning processes, developing pedagogical and communication skills to guide children and adolescents in the conscious and creative use of technology.
The course explores the main theoretical models relating to cognitive, emotional, and identity development in relation to digital media, addressing issues such as online identity, mediatized corporeality, social and participatory practices on the internet, forms of digital literacy, and the risks associated with the misuse of technological devices.
On a methodological level, students learn tools for observing and analyzing media behavior, as well as project strategies for implementing educational interventions in school and social contexts. The interdisciplinary approach integrates psychological, pedagogical, and sociological perspectives, orienting training toward the development of critical and ethical skills that are essential for operating effectively in today's complex communication ecosystem.
Interest in education, growth, and digital media.
Lectures and discussions, with reading of recommended texts and any supplementary materials provided by the instructor.
Oral exam on the topics covered and the texts indicated, with assessment of presentation skills and critical thinking abilities.
1) HAIDT J. (2024), La generazione ansiosa. Come i social media stanno devastando i giovani, Milano, Rizzoli.
2) RIVA G. (2019), Nativi digitali. Crescere e apprendere nel mondo dei nuovi media, Bologna, Il Mulino.
The discipline Childhood, Adolescence, and New Media takes a theoretical and critical approach to the cultural and social transformations generated by the spread of digital technologies in childhood and adolescence. The content covers the evolution of media systems, the emergence of new communication languages, practices for using and producing digital content, and the symbolic and narrative dynamics that permeate young people's experiences.
The links between media, culture, and social development are examined, with particular attention to the phenomena of connectivity, online participation, gaming cultures, and self-representation. The course also includes an analysis of the changes that the media introduce in forms of socialization, temporal and spatial perception, and the construction of the collective imagination, outlining a complex picture of the relationships between developmental age and the digital environment.
