Abstract
An aspect which characterizes young people of today is their ability and familiarity with new technologies. They were born in the digital age, making social networks and a wide array of applications something natural and common in their lives. The main appeal of new technologies for young people, and in particular social networks, lies in the accessibility, availability, privacy, intense stimulation, interactive website format, and anonymity that they offer. Thus, it is evident we are living in a digital world and it is more practical to seek out allies in new technologies than to reject their potential. Nonetheless, these tools must be considered in a global context, including both personal and social aspects, and we cannot forget that using them improperly can prove problematic. Thus, the objective would be to educate young people about responsible use, promote interests and relationships beyond technology, and make them aware of the risks involved (e.g. abuse). In such cases, it would be advisable to evaluate the individual’s use of technology and, if necessary, intervene. In contrast, when properly used, new technologies serve as an additional resource that favors resilience and trains young individuals to cope with difficulties that may arise either online or offline. With this approach, we would be preparing responsible citizens, ready for the challenges that exist in a globalized digital world, with both electronic tools to help them and social/community resources which must also be reinforced during this formative stage in life.
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This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant: PSI2017-84961-R AEI/FEDER, UE).
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Cangas, A.J., Fínez, M.J., Morán, C., Navarro, N., Moldes, P. (2019). Mental Health, New Technologies, and Wellbeing for Adolescents. In: Steinebach, C., Langer, Á. (eds) Enhancing Resilience in Youth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25513-8_15
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