Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – L’assessorato alle Politiche Giovanili della Città di Torino e Dove, un marchio Unilever impegnato da oltre vent’anni nella promozione dell’autostima e della fiducia in sé, annunciano oggi una collaborazione dedicata alle scuole della città, con l’obiettivo di offrire a docenti e studenti strumenti didattici concreti per affrontare uno dei temi più urgenti dell’adolescenza contemporanea: il rapporto tra uso dei media digitali, benessere psicologico e fiducia nel proprio corpo.
L’evento di lancio si è tenuto questa mattina presso l’Istituto Comprensivo Leone Sinigaglia, alla presenza di Carlotta Salerno, assessora alle Politiche educative e giovanili della Città di Torino, Ugo De Giovanni, general manager personal care Unilever Italia, Camilla Stellato, psicologa specializzata in psicologia clinica e psicoterapia, Martina Nasi, docente della scuola primaria Ventoso di Scandiano (RE), e Klizia Baldisserotto, project manager di Social Warning – Movimento Etico Digitale.
All’evento hanno partecipato circa 80 alunni delle classi quarte e quinte dell’Istituto Sinigaglia, che hanno potuto sperimentare il kit del Dove Progetto Autostima durante un momento interattivo di formazione.
Nell’attuale ecosistema digitale, bambini, bambine e adolescenti sono esposti quotidianamente a un flusso continuo di contenuti che spesso veicolano modelli estetici irrealistici e standard di bellezza difficili da raggiungere.
Sebbene le pressioni legate all’aspetto fisico non siano un fenomeno nuovo, i social media spesso diventano il luogo in cui questi temi vengono veicolati con maggiore frequenza, intensità e impatto, contribuendo ad accrescere le sfide che i più giovani affrontano nella costruzione della propria identità e della propria autostima.
Data collected from leading Italian sources captures a significant phenomenon: 85% of 11-17 year-olds use smartphones every day, and 38% of 11-18 year-olds spend more than 5 hours in front of screens; 45% of 11-18 year-olds rarely or never talk to their parents about what they do online; nearly 100.000 students exhibit signs of social media addiction, making them more likely to develop social anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders; and it is estimated that the mental health of 1 in 2 young Italians is currently at risk.
Dietro questi numeri c’è una realtà quotidiana in cui l’autostima dei ragazzi è costantemente messa alla prova dal confronto con modelli irraggiungibili e messaggi tossici.
È in questo scenario che si inserisce l’impegno del Dove Progetto Autostima, nato per supportare le nuove generazioni nello sviluppo di un rapporto più sano e consapevole con se stessi e con la propria immagine. Attivo da oltre vent’anni, il Dove Progetto Autostima ha già raggiunto più di 160 milioni di giovani nel mondo e oltre 2 milioni di studenti in Italia, affermandosi come uno dei più ampi programmi di educazione all’autostima a livello internazionale. Al centro della collaborazione tra la Città di Torino e Dove c’è dunque un obiettivo condiviso: accompagnare le nuove generazioni verso una maggiore consapevolezza nell’uso della rete e dei social media, uno dei terreni educativi più urgenti del nostro tempo.
This educational and social challenge requires a concerted response, built through an alliance between institutions, schools, families, and businesses capable of investing concretely in the well-being of younger generations. This is precisely the nature of the collaboration between the City of Turin and Dove, which combines public responsibility for youth policies with the expertise of a brand that for over twenty years, through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, has been working on the relationship between girls, boys, and self-image.
The project's operational tools also fit within this framework, starting with the Connected with Care kit: a useful teaching tool available to primary and middle school teachers to educate young people about the risks and opportunities associated with social media and their impact. Developed in collaboration with Social Warning, the Digital Ethical Movement, the kit includes worksheets, practical exercises, in-depth materials, and a safety guide that teachers can directly apply in the classroom.
"At a stage in life when identity and self-esteem are forming, it is essential to educate people about authentic beauty, one that isn't measured by unattainable models or constant comparison with what we see on a screen. Digital tools offer great opportunities, but we must provide young people with all the guidance they need to use them consciously, as a resource from which to learn and express themselves, not as a lifestyle to conform to. We are pleased to establish collaborations on the topics of mental health, self-esteem, and digital awareness with organizations that choose to invest attention and resources. This is how education becomes a shared responsibility between public and private institutions, with the aim of promoting the well-being of young people and helping them grow more aware, free to recognize their own value, and develop self-confidence," says Carlotta Salerno, Councilor for Education and Youth Policies for the City of Turin.
"For over twenty years, Dove has been committed to self-esteem and the promotion of authentic beauty. We do this with the younger generations through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which over the years has reached millions of young people around the world. Today, our collaboration with the City of Turin represents an important sign of institutional attention to an issue that concerns the entire community and, in particular, the well-being of girls and boys. Together, we provide the city's teachers and students with up-to-date tools to address the challenges that young people face every day in the digital world. The goal is to help raise awareness of digital education. Working together with institutions and schools is, for us, the right way to make this mission concrete and lasting," says Ugo De Giovanni, General Manager Personal Care, Unilever Italy.
"In an age where media exposure and the digital world have affected our children from early childhood, schools have a duty to be a solid point of reference, capable of addressing their most pressing educational needs. Our school system recognizes this need, vigorously pursuing a variety of projects aimed at personal care and growth. Today, faced with the complex challenges posed by the internet and social media, it is crucial to reiterate that no institution can act alone. The educational and social response must be collaborative and based on strong synergy and collaboration between institutions, schools, families, and the business world. Helping children, from an early age, develop a healthy awareness of their bodies and navigate the digital world with a critical mindset lays the foundation for their future well-being," says Rosa Berardi, head teacher at the Leone Sinigaglia Comprehensive Institute in Turin.
The October 28th webinar: training is open to all teachers. The Turin event is the first step in a broader journey. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th at 17:00 PM with a free online training webinar titled "Digital Awareness in the Classroom," aimed at school principals and teachers in Turin. The webinar will be led by Sara Verrecchia, a trainer at Social Warning, and will allow teachers to learn more about Dove's Connessi con Cura (Connected with Care) kit and practical ways to implement it in the classroom.
Registration closes on Tuesday, October 27th at 12:00 PM and is open at the following link. The Dove Progetto Autostima kits can be downloaded for free at DoveProgettoAutostima.it.
saving
webinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)