Technological addiction: integrated analysis of the risks of addiction to digital technologies and media in adolescence

The mixed-methods social research presented in this paper aims to identify the factors characteristically associated with risks of experiencing expressions of addiction to media and digital technologies, involving 3,302 adolescents enrolled in upper secondary schools across Rome. The study reconstructs the inextricable intertwining of the different types of factors associated with the risks of technological addiction by comparing typified profiles of students with multiple addictions and those not at risk and employing logistic regression analysis for identifying significantly correlated variables. Atypical profiles are identified and analyzed, including students who exhibit non-risk traits and students who display risky behaviors. The findings regarding hyperconnected adolescents are consistent with those from other data sources and existing literature on technology addiction. More specifically, various levels of socio-emotional discomfort related to socialization agents, such as social isolation and strained relationships, emerge as distinctive features of the group of adolescents exhibiting problematic interactions with digital technologies, thereby positioning these tools as powerful mediators of real-life interactions. Adolescents who are not at risk present a contrasting portrait that presupposes a controlled use of digital technologies and media, harmonious and social peer relations and a relationship with educational agents characterized by dialogue and openness.