A rainy and windy afternoon spent endlessly scrolling videos on TikTok, without realizing how much time passes until the call for dinner. It was precisely the unfiltered story of a young student during a school laboratory that gave the decisive impetus to Ester Macrìsociologist and president of the cooperative ReteSviluppo.
From this testimony was born a Florence the project DiscoverThe first center in Italy entirely dedicated to preventing and combating digital addiction among the very young. The initiative comes to life thanks to the synergy between the Municipality of Florence, the Local Health Authority of Tuscany Center and the ReteSviluppo cooperative itself, which has been active for ten years in schools against the abuse of technology and cyberbullying. The chosen location has a strong symbolic value: the Chiarugi librarylocated in the spaces of the former psychiatric hospital of San Salvi.
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The no-tech space and the laboratories to transform the use of social media
The beating heart of the structure, which will officially open its doors in September with an initial duration of three years, it will be a strictly area no-techwhere entry to smartphones will be prohibited. In this environment the kids among the 10 and 25 years they will be able to rediscover sociality live through board gamesmanual activities and guided logout paths.
Next to one listening desk also addressed to families to manage tensions and isolationthe program promoted by Ester Macrì does not aim to demonize the devices, but to teach their conscious use. Through podcasting courses, game design and creative artificial intelligence challengesyoung people will be encouraged to become active producers and critics of content rather than passive users.
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A model for Tuscany against lowering the age of abuse
The Discover center will be able to welcome up to 40 young people per dayproposing itself as a real point of reference for the entire Tuscany region. The project also includes an important educational program aimed at adults, parents and teachersfocused on raising awareness against the phenomenon of digital babysittingor the tendency to entrust children to screens early. With the age of hyperconnection continuing to drop dangerously, the Florentine experiment aims to become a replicable prototype on a national scale for give young people back the value of time and relationships in the real world.
