The HBSC-Italia 2022 - Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Surveillance: digital technologies in adolescents (Supplemento 2 al n. 12, volume 36, 2023 del Notiziario dell'ISS)

Social media and video games are an integral part of the lives of today’s youth. The following report analyzes the frequency of use and potential problems associated with these technologies among the Italian adolescent population. About 4 in 5 adolescents use social media on a daily basis, with one in 10 at risk of developing problematic use. In particular, 13-year-old girls appear to be most vulnerable, with 40 percent at risk of developing problematic social media use. As for video games, 25 percent of adolescents use them daily, with a higher prevalence and intensity of use in the male population. The latter also have a higher risk of developing problematic use than their female counterparts. This report emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring the use of digital technologies and analyzing the benefits and risks associated with these instruments in order to inform preventive strategies and targeted interventions to mitigate potential problematic issues.