Vetrinizzazione sociale, narcisismo digitale e nomofobia: mostrarsi nell'era della connessione permanente

In the digital media era, the relationship linking the contemporary individual to the use of instant and social media photographs lies at the heart of a broad scholarly debate, engaging diverse analytical perspectives and research trajectories ranging from sociology and psychology to pedagogy and media studies. In the article, this issue is explored focusing on the connections between the centrality of the image in contemporary culture and the individual consequences—including pathological ones—stemming from the pervasive and cumulative presence of social networks in daily life. From the second half of the nineteenth century through the twentieth century, photography and, subsequently, audiovisual media helped reinforce the "shop window" model of communication: individuals, their bodies, and even their emotions were progressively placed at the center of attention and the gaze of others on a potentially global scale, leading to the current state of self-conscious display within the routine of "onlife" existence (Floridi, 2017). The increasing ease of producing and disseminating one’s own photographic image has altered social interaction among individuals and expanded relational networks as well as spaces for self-display. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of the selfie, which is linked to the spread of social media and facilitated by the technological revolution of the last decade.