1. NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL WORLD: THE EXPERIENCES OF CHIARA, GIULIA, CAROLA AND MARTINA
We immersed ourselves in the lives of Chiara, Carola, Giulia and Martina as they faced the digital world and the challenges it brought.
Chiara, a YouTube enthusiast, had confessed her obsession with followers and views on her channel. Each loss of subscribers hit her deeply, triggering a cascade of negative emotions. Frustration, competition with other creators, and struggling to deal with feelings like resentment and depression had become constant companions on her journey.
Carola, on the other hand, lived her life between likes, shares, and the constant updating of her Instagram profile. The pressure to continue to be interesting and visible in the eyes of others had caused a growing dissatisfaction with her self-image and a sense of competition with other profiles that seemed to have no end.
Giulia, an avid TikTok fan, had found that her constant immersion in short videos had begun to undermine her ability to concentrate on activities outside of the digital world. Studying and dancing now required more effort, and she felt she had a hard time adapting to a non-digital activity, where things weren't moving at breakneck speed.
Martina, on the other hand, was a slave to selfies and WhatsApp messages with friends, to such an extent that the real world seemed to fade compared to the online world. Virtual interactions had begun to take over, leaving very little room for face-to-face experiences.
As these four girls continued to navigate the digital world, they found themselves pondering how to balance their love of technology with a desire to have more meaningful experiences away from the screen. Will they be able to find a balance between the two dimensions of life? Find out in the next chapter.
2. A WORLD OUTSIDE THE SCREEN
After a few months, the guys decided to organize a meeting in Salvo's family's house involving their teenage siblings, all friends and acquaintances to discuss in depth how to reduce their addiction to the Internet and make the most of their free time.
The conversation began when Luca asked a question: "Girls, have you thought about your social media pages and digital activities during this summer?" The girls answered in chorus no, and from here a reflection was opened among all of them on what solutions they could adopt to reduce digital activity in favor of real one.
Luca spoke again and began to say that it would be necessary to adapt their choice to a diversification of daily and family life habits, drawing up a list of potential strategies to be adopted.
They made a personal inventory of the things the Internet prevented them from doing. They wrote down a list of the tasks they were interested in or that they needed to accomplish but could no longer do because of the time they spent online. The purpose was not to feel bad, but rather to find the motivation to limit the use of the Internet.
They set themselves time targets. Total abstinence was not the best solution against the problem, as the internet was a useful medium in many aspects of daily life. However, they determined how much time to devote to personal use of the network, not taking into account the times when they were forced to use the Internet for school. They listed all the other duties and customs they wanted to do with their time, such as sleeping, being with friends and family, working out, going out and coming home, studying, and so on. They determined how much time per week they should theoretically devote to these needs.
They came up with a new plan. If the use of the network took too much time, they would curb the problem by putting other tasks on the agenda, filling it with all kinds of commitments to get rid of previous habits. For example, if they found themselves compulsively surfing from home every afternoon,
they would change their habits by doing anything else that could keep them away from computers and smartphones.
They set priorities. They decided to reduce their dependence on the Internet by scaling their virtual activity in relation to the rest of their lives. They listed all the non-virtual things they wanted or needed to do and ranked them in order of importance in relation to the time they spent sailing. They decided to prioritize real life. For example, they envisioned spending more time with friends in person, instead of interacting through social media.
They also decided to exercise regularly, which would help them stay healthy, improve their mood, and make them more confident.
Sport would also make them sleep better and keep them occupied for a long time.
3.TRANSLATING IDEAS INTO ACTION: A PLAN FOR THE CONSCIOUS USE OF TECHNOLOGY
After expressing their opinions, ideas and listening to the solutions proposed by Luca, the guys began to ask themselves questions. Martina asked, "But how can we put all this into practice?" Then Chiara spoke and answered: "We must begin to adapt our choices to the different habits of daily and family life."
Carola raised a concern: "But won't this make us feel excluded and marginalized by our peers?" Luca replied: "If this choice becomes common to all, there is no risk of feeling different, discriminated against, or being mocked and bullied by others. We need to engage and talk about it with as many people as possible online and offline."
Giulia added enthusiastically, "Guys, this is the challenge of the century."
Martina, always forward, even proposed to create a motto: "# I unplug, and you?" It was an exciting idea, they felt motivated to be an example for their peers, as well as for past and future generations.
Carola raised one last question: "But who's going to control us?" Luca replied confidently, "None. This is an experiment in self-empowerment for a conscious and moderate use of digital tools. However, we can always rely on the help of our parents and family members, involving them in our self-educational project."
4. I STAY AT HOME
Friends spent many hours discussing how to reduce their use and dependence on digital devices, also referring to the experiments they had conducted in the months leading up to that time. They decided to adopt some strategies to improve their quality of life, especially during the day.
Leave your mobile phone at home. During daytime outdoor activities, the guys decided to leave their cell phones at home. They understood that by changing their gestures, their thoughts also changed. This became an important step in breaking away from the constant presence of smartphones in one's lives. Without the device at hand, they were able to better concentrate on what they were doing, fully enjoying the activities without distractions. Not having their phones with
them also meant they weren't constantly thinking about it, helping to reduce obsessive thinking about technology.
Restrict Online Sessions. The guys set clear rules to limit the time spent online. They started with a maximum session of 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon for time spent on the internet. This limited the excessive use of social media, online games, and other digital distractions. Limiting their time online helped them regain control over technology instead of letting it control them.
Enforce Device Use Rules. They decided to set rules about the use of the phone, such as not using it after a certain time every day. This promoted a healthy nighttime routine without the interference of devices. In addition, they set limits for the zones where they could use their smartphones. This meant reducing use in certain areas of the house or space in which they lived. In this way, they created "technology-free" spaces that fostered face-to-face communication and relaxation without digital distractions.
These measures were an important step towards a more balanced and conscious use of technology and demonstrated their commitment to rediscovering life outside the digital world. At first, these rules may have seemed challenging, but
over time they became a natural part of everyday life, helping them find control over their digital lives.
5. DISCONNECTION AT 8.00 PM
The guys decided to impose a strict limit on the use of digital devices during the evening. They were tired of staying connected late, depriving themselves of sleep and valuable offline interactions with family and friends. This new rule became a key to rediscovering the value of real connections and strengthening family bonds.
Detach the Devices. At 8:00 p.m. punctually, the guys would turn off their digital devices. This would mark the end of the online day and the transition to real-life time. A symbolic but powerful gesture that would allow them to restore the balance between the digital and real worlds.
Dinner and Sharing. Once detached from the devices, the guys could devote themselves to preparing a shared dinner.
This would become a time of collaboration and interaction. They would rediscover the pleasure of cooking and sharing a meal with the family, sitting at the table. This would be an opportunity to tell each other about the experiences of the day, laugh together, joke and, sometimes, resolve differences. A way to strengthen family bonds and connect authentically.
Time for Culture and Fun. After dinner, the guys would indulge in the luxury of free time. This would be the time to read a book or a comic book, watch a movie together, or just relax and chat. This activity would not only entertain them but also stimulate creativity, offering an alternative to endless scrolling on social media.
Rediscovering the Pleasure of Real Connections. This new rule would not only improve the quality of the guys' sleep but also their overall well-being. Their family would become the centerpiece of their evenings, and this would reinforce their sense of belonging and appreciation for the time spent with loved ones. At the end of an evening well spent, they would retire to sleep with a feeling of satisfaction and gratitude for the authentic connections made during those hours.