being open to change without necessarily destabilizing oneself, all the above represent keys of interpretation, perhaps over-optimistic, which help to edify a relationship of reciprocal trust between the young and the new communicative technologies The experience of reaffirmation of the self and of the construction or search for an identity are at the basis of every educational process, whether real or virtual, for the young and for many behavioural orientations with regard to the technological possibilities of today. In the case of the Internet, the awareness of the virtuality of the real and the perception of a dimension which is parallel to the tangible one, stimulate the individual to expose him or herself to risk, in the awareness that ex- periences lived through the screen do not constitute real life.
The virtual reality of the Web and that which is perceived, put into practice, con- structed, or imagined in the continuous relationship with the digital technologies mirrors the real world, particularly when, through immersion and integration with the languages and characteristics of the new media, it attempts to gratify needs and desires which the individual is not always able to satisfy in everyday life. The hybridization of languages and multimedial convergence, therefore, increase the possibility of contact, of communicative and semantic exchange between individuals, removing the barriers not only of space and time but also of sex, creed, ideology, and so forth, producing a sensation of communication between equals. However, it is also true that they can conceal unexpected situations of violation of privacy, of violence, and particularly psychological violence, which invade personal space.
This too, however, is a reflection of what happens in the tangible world, but at an experiential acceleration which is directly proportionate to the prospective of in- teraction and contact offered by the digital media.
In second place, this interpretation of the relationship of the young with technology in the adult world seems yet again to present a point of view which does not always correspond to the view they put forward of themselves. The young are born and brought up in a technological environment and they learn to handle independently the different media and the multitude of stimuli which come from a reality which is in itself complex. They get used to progressively facing, observing, listening to, and selecting or reorganizing in their experience of life the wide range of inputs offered. The propensity towards the digital media produces with time a modification in the way of observing, thinking, and interpreting the surrounding reality, which becomes eclectic and reticular, in accordance with a precise order which is closely connected to subjective experience. The young, who have grown up immersed in these continual cultural and technological stimuli, develop a forma mentis which is able to handle and control these same stimuli and they present themselves to the adult world with this awareness and cultural and experiential maturity.
The story of the numbers recounts a process of cultural appropriation by Italian society which, while certainly not linear, is seductive and interesting. However, the reaching of certain percentages does not solve the problem of the cultural compe- tence of the Italians in the use of the languages and instruments of the media. The numbers recount neither the position of this communication in people’s lives, the intensity of the media experiences in everyday life, nor indeed the level of influ- ence they have on life style. They limit themselves to supplying a photograph of the situation from which to investigate in depth into the cultural, symbolic, expressive, and behavioural relationship between the media and the young.
The numbers indicate an encouraging trend. An observation of the data, in fact, indicates that the change is determined principally by the young. It is therefore pos- sible to introduce the concept of communicative activation with which to intend not only the activism of the public but also a different attitude of independence in the new generation with regard to the communicative and technological stimulation of
which they are protagonists. This communicative analysis should be carried out as part of their education to show that it is enough to have access to the media to find forms of communication and thereby avoid anxiety-provoking incomprehension between the generations. As these processes are taking place with such rapidity, the least we can do is help them along.
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