Conference Program

In 1979, Neil Postman observed that American children spent, from 5 to 18 years old, more time in front of the television than in a classroom: about 15’000 hours against 11’500. That’s why he considered television as the first curriculum, defining it (not without concern) "the greatest pedagogical enterprise in history." Decades later, with the rise of smartphones, screen time has only increased and evolved in its consumption — raising urgent questions about how digital media actually impacts, and what role schools can play in response.

This project presents the evidence and framework of the CED – Centro Educazione Digitale, which has partnered with dozens of school communities across northern Italy, engaging more than 5000 families and students from early childhood through secondary school. Drawing on survey data about communities' digital habits and perceptions along the whole compulsory school course (0-18), the CED developed four interconnected guidelines: involving families through shared "Digital Contracts"; conducting hands-on media education workshops with students; training teachers from nursery level upward in critical digital literacy; and monitoring the phenomenon over time through quali-quantitative questionnaires.

We analyse how these guidelines were implemented across the different age groups and schools, examining what worked, where difficulties arose, and what measurable outcomes were achieved.

The findings suggest that meaningful digital education requires a whole-community approach, and that integrating digital tools as instruments of knowledge — rather than mere objects of desire — is both possible and necessary.