Florence launches digital education pilot for adolescents

A new initiative in Florence, Italy, aims to address digital addiction and promote responsible technology use among adolescents. The project, titled ‘Discover-Fuori dal guscio’, will launch in September at the Vincenzo Chiarugi library, a facility specializing in mental health.

Developed through a collaboration between the Municipality of Florence, Asl Toscana Centro, and the social enterprise cooperative ReteSviluppo, the service is designed as a preventive and educational tool rather than a clinical treatment. Ester Macrì, president of ReteSviluppo, stated that the goal is not to treat addiction as doctors do, but to act as educators teaching young people how to use digital tools effectively.

The pilot phase is scheduled to last four months. The initiative responds to growing concerns regarding hyper-connectivity, noting that one in five adolescents spends more than four hours a day on a smartphone, which can lead to various behavioral and psychological issues.