Hyperconnection in Adolescence – Audio Abstract

The article “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀’ 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰” highlights the increase in screen time among adolescents compared to the pre-pandemic period and its effects on their relational and psychological well-being.

Researcher Antonio Tintori, author of the article published in the journal Social Sciences, discusses this together with Giulia Ciancimino and Loredana Cerbara from the MUSA research group at CNR-IRPPS.

The study analyzes data from two representative cross-sectional surveys conducted among Italian adolescents in 2019 and 2022, within the framework of the Youth Trends Observatory. The study examines changes in social media screen time, identifies the main socio-demographic predictors of hyperconnection, and explores its effects on young people’s relational and psychological well-being.

The findings reveal the profound impact of the pandemic on daily social media use, showing a significant increase across all social groups, regardless of socio-demographic characteristics, with girls displaying higher levels of hyperconnection. Furthermore, the results indicate that hyperconnected individuals are 1.4 times more likely to experience negative psychological states compared to their peers. The effects of hyperconnection vary by gender, affecting both horizontal and vertical social interactions, reducing trust in adult figures, increasing the likelihood of victimization from cyberbullying, phubbing, and body image concerns, and fostering the belief that online relationships can replace offline ones. Overall, the study highlights the urgent need for more effective prevention, awareness, and education strategies targeting educators, parents, and adolescents.

The full article is available in open access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/9/470