Gabriele Baratto discussed the role of social media in the Milan youth riots, explaining how digital tools make it easier and quicker to organise spontaneous gatherings. The young people taking part belong precisely to the demographic that makes up these platforms’ core user base.
Baratto stressed the need to resist the temptation to respond with draconian measures involving indiscriminate digital surveillance. These incidents also express a generation’s anger and frustration: understanding their underlying causes is essential to addressing them.
In a subsequent contribution, Baratto also addressed the circulation of alarmist messages in group chats and on social media, stressing the need to verify sources to avoid fuelling unnecessary alarm and unfounded fears.
Video – youth riots [In Italian]
Video – alarmist messages [In Italian, from min 17:50]
