From Educational Contexts to Addictions: the Role of Technology in Teaching Methodologies and in Prevention as an Educational Function

Abstract

Among the effects of neoliberalism, the diffusion of technologies, in negative the advance of individualism on the sense of community, is to be pointed out. Learning and cognition processes are influenced by the environmental experience, as technology has created a new environmental space to experience among digital natives. On the other hand, nowadays, technological addiction is an educational problem not to be underestimated given its pervasiveness and diffusion among teenagers. The purpose of this article is to examine some positive and negative effects of technology on teenagers’ life styles. From a methodological perspective, it will be provided a systematic review of the existing literature on both technological addictions, by examining negative effects on adolescents’ mental health, and on educational strategies aimed at promoting positive effects through the analysis of the relationships between technology and learning processes. By comparing empirical studies and international experiences, it can be suggested that education plays a key role in preventing behavioral addictions and promoting physical and mental wellbeing, given that the effective and guided use of technology could represent a precursor of positive and stable attitudes towards healthy habits and learning processes.