Italy opens center dedicated to preventing digital addiction among children
Prevention over bans.
Image by Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
- Italy will open its first specialized center to prevent digital addiction among children in Florence after summer 2026.
- The Discover – Out of the Shell pilot will run until December 2026 and connect schools, youth centers, sports clubs, libraries, and community groups.
- Florence officials say the project promotes mindful technology use, balancing online time with relationships, sports, culture, and shared experiences.
- Italy’s prevention-based approach contrasts with social media bans for young teens in France and Australia.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Italy’s first specialized center offers a complex approach to fighting young people’s social media addiction, which comes in contrast to blanket bans imposed by France and Australia.
An agreement signed by the Hospital of Santa Nuova in Florence and participating partners on July 21st, 2026, has laid the groundwork for establishing “Discover – Out of the Shell.”
The center is dedicated exclusively to addressing “digital disconnection” and preventing digital abuse and misuse. It will also promote the conscious, responsible, and creative use of technology.
Letizia Perini, Councilor for Youth Policies in Florence, says that digital technologies are part of young people's daily lives and represent an “extraordinary opportunity,” according to a press release, which Cybernews machine translated.
“For this very reason, we have a duty to guide them toward increasingly mindful usage, helping them strike a balance between time spent online and time dedicated to relationships, sports, culture, and shared experiences,” Perini is quoted as saying.
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This pilot project will launch after the summer, and its initial phase will continue until December 2026.
The initiative will connect a wide range of organizations and places across Florence, such as youth centers, schools, sports clubs, civic spaces, libraries, and educational and community organizations.
Valerio Mari, a director of ASL Toscana Centro, one of the participating parties, says the key element of the initiative is the integration of prevention activities and constant coordination with the relevant services.
He emphasizes the “sense of shared responsibility” rather than bans and prohibitions.
Italy takes a complex approach to digital addiction, as an increasing number of countries are considering social media bans for teenagers or already implementing them.
France has just become the first European country to ban children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
The platforms will be required to set up age-verification systems approved by the French privacy regulator.
Paris is following the footsteps of Australia, which imposed a similar ban in December 2025. However, critics say the ban didn’t stop most teenagers from using social media platforms.