During the XQ.EUJOY internship in Barcelona, Fundació Periodisme Plural and Octaedro hosted three young journalists from across Europe. Dalila Scagliusi, Maria Antonietta Mastropasqua, and Miguel Santos present a video podcast analyzing the impact of social media on various sectors. With the support of Cal Smith and Luca Lamorte, founders of DIIGIMA, the journalists tackle the topic from a broad perspective, exploring its effects on everything from health to its role as a turning point in modern democracies.
Is humanity programmed to feed a craving for notifications?
Social networks pose “a public health problem, especially among teenagers and young people, and a danger to democracy,” according to researchers Cristina Fernández Rovira and Santiago Giraldo Luque in their book “Segrestats per les xarxes.” In an interview, Professor Giraldo highlights the misleading notion that young people can control their social media use, noting that many admit to being addicted. These platforms, instead of fostering meaningful connections, promote superficial relationships and contribute to anxiety, eating disorders, low self-esteem, insomnia, and stress. Moreover, they elevate fame, violence, hatred, and pornography as societal values. The authors call for protective measures, including the recognition of digital rights, neurorights, and mental health rights, emphasizing humanity’s right to disconnect.
Journalist Joan Cascante, an expert in political influencers and far-right online communities, further underscores the impact of social networks on political communication. He explains that these platforms have empowered citizens to take a more active role in spreading information. However, algorithms that personalize the digital experience create feedback loops, limiting exposure to opposing views. This environment, particularly on YouTube, has fueled the rise of far-right political influencers, who exploit the platform’s recommendation algorithms to guide audiences from moderate to more extreme content.
