Opportunities and Risks of Digital Hyperconnectivity: The Importance of Promoting Digital Well-Being

The rapid diffusion of technology is progressively reinforcing the exclusion of certain socially disadvantaged groups, particularly in terms of access and relevance of technology use. Data shows that where poverty rates increase, digital literacy is lower because poorer people have fewer opportunities to participate in literacy processes and acquire skills to interact with the digital world. While technologies can be a real opportunity for those at risk of digital poverty, they can also penalise them, creating digitally disadvantaged sub-groups. With the increasing digital integration of society, production, education, and daily life, we are witnessing unprecedented changes where the hyper-connectedness of young people is a risk factor with no small consequences. Through a systematic analysis of evidence literature, the work focuses on risk factors and conditions statistically linked to causes fostering digital inequalities, and on protective factors for inclusive educational interventions countries, governments, and institutions should provide to prevent perpetuating inequities.