The business model of social media maximizes screen time by exploiting dopamine-driven mechanisms, engaging attention and short-term memory to process constant interruptions. Over time, users develop an addiction to distraction, fostering dependency on shallow engagement and undermining deep focus. Due to neural plasticity, the brain rewires itself to prioritize fleeting stimuli, especially harmful when exposure begins early, as developing brains are more malleable.
Digital natives, immersed in digitally pervasive, distraction-filled environments, struggle with traditional learning models requiring resilience and delayed gratification. The constant use of digital devices shapes cognitive strategies, modifying the brain through plasticity. This passive engagement contrasts with the "generation effect," where active problem-solving enhances memory retention. The blurring of entertainment and education exacerbates challenges, as digital natives apply shallow, dopamine-driven patterns to learning, undermining deep education.
This shift has led to a rise in psychological and cognitive issues, including Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), social anxiety, and low self-esteem. More specifically, it has resulted in four key cognitive impairments: Addiction to Distraction, Long-Term Memory Disruption, Setback Handling Dysfunction, and Inferential Reasoning Deficit. These impairments arise from digital technologies prioritizing instant gratification, fragmented attention, and passive information consumption.
By identifying these four impairments, the paper provides a framework for updating learning methods to align with the cognitive needs of digital natives, emphasizing cognitive resilience, sustained attention, and active inferential thinking for meaningful learning in a digital world.

Authors:
Stefano Caggiano, Istituto Marangoni, Italy

About the Presenter(s)
Stefano Caggiano is a full-time faculty member at Istituto Marangoni, Italy. His research focuses on two areas: The intersection between design languages and technologies; New educational methods aligned with the cognitive needs of digital natives.

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