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Gelmini: Social Media Radicalizes Youth Political Thought
🇮🇹 Italy /Culture & Society

Gelmini: Social Media Radicalizes Youth Political Thought

From Corriere della Sera · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Senator Mariastella Gelmini expressed concern over the radicalization of political thought among young people due to social media.
  • She highlighted the need for physical spaces for human connection, especially in Brescia, a province with a large adolescent population.
  • Gelmini proposed establishing an "educating community" to coordinate local entities and offer free recreational activities, addressing youth distress and potential societal costs.

Senator Mariastella Gelmini voiced significant concern about the impact of social media on young people, warning that it could lead to the radicalization of political thought. Speaking at a convention in Brescia, Gelmini, a member of the Noi Moderati party, emphasized the growing isolation and fragmentation in society, particularly among adolescents.

The digital friend is not enough; we need physical places where people can meet and where young people can grow together.

— Mariastella GelminiSpeaking at a convention in Brescia about the need for human connection among adolescents.

"The digital friend is not enough; we need physical places where people can meet and where young people can grow together," Gelmini stated. She noted that this need is especially acute in Brescia, Lombardy's most youthful province, with 140,000 adolescents. She criticized algorithms that reinforce existing interests, preventing exploration of new horizons.

Gelmini, a former Minister of Education, outlined a proposal to create an "educating community." This legal entity would involve municipalities coordinating third-sector organizations, theaters, and sports associations to provide free, supplementary recreational activities. She pointed out that rising living costs make these activities unaffordable for many families.

We run the risk that future citizens will become a cost to society, potentially requiring frequent recourse to psychologists and dietitians to cope with difficulties.

— Mariastella GelminiWarning about the long-term consequences of unaddressed youth distress.

The senator warned that unaddressed youth distress, manifesting in self-harm, bullying, and gang violence, could lead to more deeply rooted problems. "We run the risk that future citizens will become a cost to society, potentially requiring frequent recourse to psychologists and dietitians to cope with difficulties," she explained. Gelmini also expressed concern that the "tenacity of our democracy" could be challenged by the exposure of very young people to social networks that exploit emotion, anger, and polarization.

There is concern that the exposure of very young people to social networks can lead to a radicalization of political thought. Social media plays on emotion, anger, and polarization.

— Mariastella GelminiExpressing worries about the political impact of social media on youth.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Corriere della Sera in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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