This study investigates the social appropriation processes of generative AI technologies, focusing on the creation, sale, and sharing of prompts within digital platforms. We aim to transcend traditional socio-technical narratives and imaginaries, examining how users adapt and integrate these technologies into their everyday lives from a grassroots perspective. Our research centers on an unofficial ChatGPT server on the Discord platform, specifically analyzing three channels related to prompt creation: “Prompt Engineering,” “Project,” and “Image.” Employing a digital ethnography approach, we utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods. We collected 288 posts from the Prompt Engineering channel, 205 from the Project channel, and 4,063 from the Image channel (including 634 posts and 3,429 prompts) using a Python script with Beautiful Soup 4 and Selenium libraries. Additionally, we engaged with users through participant observation and direct interaction, responding to posts about prompt sales and purchases. Our findings reveal a complex landscape where users adapt AI technologies according to their diverse needs and objectives. We identified four distinct user types: AI Creators, Startuppers, Technology Experts, and AI Curious users. AI Creators utilize generative AI to produce engaging content for large social media audiences; Startuppers leverage AI for financial gain by developing applications like automated marketing tools and chatbots; Technology Experts, including programmers and data scientists, enhance AI functionality through plugin development and share their expertise in prompt creation; and AI Curious users explore AI for emotional and psychological support through personalized interactions. Furthermore, our study highlights the dynamic interplay of technical and interpersonal skills in the development of a prompt market. Users navigate both public and private channels across multiple platforms to buy and sell prompts, revealing a marketplace where vendors facilitate deeper AI integration into users' routines through pre-configured and customized solutions. This process reflects a form of social appropriation intersecting with economic and emotional dimensions. Overall, our research demonstrates how the interaction among various user categories and their objectives, ranging from reputation-building and technical skill enhancement to economic and emotional needs, forms the foundation of bottom-up social appropriation practices of AI on the Discord platform.
Le aree rurali e i piccoli centri urbani del Sud d’Italia attraversano attualmente processi di trasformazione demografica che incidono profondamente nella vita culturale delle comunità. Questi processi strutturali di declino demografico, osservati su tutto il territorio nazionale, hanno un impatto ancor più significativo nelle aree interne: territori che affrontano difficoltà di accesso ai servizi di cittadinanza nonché trasformazioni nelle economie locali, passando da una produzione agricola tradizionale e artigianale verso un’economia agroalimentare tecnificata e un settore terziario in espansione, soprattutto nel turismo. Espressioni culturali storicamente radicate nell’area Sicani in Sicilia vedono diminuite le loro basi sociali a causa allo spopolamento. È il caso del Carnevale, una manifestazione festiva e laica molto sentita dagli abitanti, in particolare dai giovani, che in passato coinvolgeva l’intera comunità e che è ancora presente nella memoria di diverse fasce di età. Una serie di interviste condotte nell’area dei Sicani, specificamente nei paesi di Santo Stefano Quisquina, Bivona e Alessandria della Rocca, testimoniano la rilevanza del Carnevale, delle forme di interazione e comunicazione, delle dinamiche di partecipazione e creazione artistica, nonché delle difficoltà che affronta questa manifestazione nel contesto attuale di spopolamento delle aree interne. Una revisione storica delle pratiche culturali intorno al carnevale in questi tre paesi si inquadra nel dibattitto sulla dicotomia spazio pubblico e spazio privato in cui si svolgono queste manifestazioni festive e performative, analizzando inoltre il ruolo e il contenuto di elementi rituali e creativi presenti in questi carnevali: l’allegoria, il carro, i costumi e l’inno. Questi elementi sono strumenti di riflessione critica e artistica per i gruppi giovanili di questi paesi, nei quali esprimono le proprie preoccupazioni, ragioni e aspettative sulla problematica dello spopolamento.
In the last two years, the massive diffusion of GenAI and LLM had worldwide shockwaves, opening up new horizons in various fields, including ecoliteracy and ecopedagogy. Despite the use of these tools for teaching and learning, there’s still a gap between ecoliteracy and AI. Teachers and school students need to be prepared to become aware of the potential use of these tools to fully understand them. This paper aims to show the need for an ecoliteracy “and” AI, in order to use all the potential of the technology, but also an ecoliteracy “of” AI, aware of the impact from its use to the environment. To show how AI can be useful to this field, in this paper there are two attempts to interact with AI to obtain insights regarding the above-mentioned shortcomings, through two simple and scientifically relevant prompts. Analysing the current situation of the literature and theoretical contributions, it is clear that there is still a lack of a specific framework focused on these two axes. An “EcoAI” framework that should be integrated into school programs in order to best exploit the potential of these new tools, in light of the EU's requests to complete the Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 4 objectives.
The algorithmic literacy is gaining an increasing relevance in the policy and institutional framework about media and digital literacy, even since an approach oriented to the enhancement of civic engagement and citizens’ capacity to fully participate in the democratic life in this field has become more and more relevant. At the same time, media literacy scholars have adopted a multi-faceted approach towards this area of competence considering different sub-dimensions and taking into account an user-centric perspective. Through this paper, the main results of a survey about media and digital literacy needs among the Italian population will be analysed, with specific reference to the knowledge and awareness of content recommendation algorithms used by major online platforms, as well as their ability to perform specific actions such as curating content via algorithms and reporting content on algorithmic platforms. The contribution will present the main findings of such analysis, considering the different age groups and other socio-demographic and media use variables, even proposing a specific algorithmic literacy index. Over half of the Italian population aged 14 years and over is aware of the role of content recommendation algorithms on online platforms, with peaks among young adults and lows among older adults. Awareness correlates positively with education level and daily internet use. Around 70% of aware users view algorithms as enhancing their experience, though preference declines with age. Just under half the population is aware of content personalization and reporting tools; such awareness is higher among young adults, frequent Internet users, and those with higher education. Four-fifths of people aware of these opportunities report using at least a curation tool, while about two-thirds use at least a reporting one. Based on the proposed five-levels index, over one-third of Italians have no algorithmic literacy, while only 7% reach an excellent level. While the share of older minors with excellent algorithmic literacy is only slightly exceeding the general average, only one-sixth of older adults possesses at least a fair level of algorithmic literacy. Higher literacy levels are concentrated among young adults and users who engage in a broader and more varied range of online activities. Therefore, the contribution will conclude with some recommendations taking into account some key data regarding both the algorithmic awareness and the use of curation and reporting tools. In particular, some possible actions to enhance the level of algorithmic literacy across different groups of population will be discussed and the role of policymakers will be problematised.
This study applies an adapted version of the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) to assess the climatic suitability of four key Italian coastal destinations—Jesolo, Castiglione della Pescaia, Sorrento, and Alghero—over the period 1995–2024. Using ERA5 daily climate data and recalibrated comfort thresholds tailored to Mediterranean conditions, the analysis explores seasonal and temporal variations in climatic favorability for tourism. Results reveal that summer remains the peak season, though recent years show a slight decline in comfort, especially in northern areas. Conversely, spring and autumn exhibit improving TCI values, particularly in southern and insular locations, suggesting potential for tourism de-seasonalization. Winter continues to present low comfort levels, though modest improvements are observed in some destinations. The findings highlight the growing relevance of climate-aware tourism planning and underscore the need for adaptive strategies in response to climate change. The TCI proves to be a useful, though limited, tool for monitoring long-term climatic trends in the tourism sector.
This study explores how the phenomenon of overtourism is represented, constructed, and at times obscured within digital narratives on TikTok, focusing specifically on the case of the city of Naples. Through a qualitative content analysis conducted on 300 videos, the research explores the perceptual and behavioral dimensions of overtourism, highlighting the differentiated roles of the main stakeholders involved: influencers, residents, tourists, media actors and local businesses. The work is situated in the broader debate on the transformation of tourism in the algorithmic era, interrogating the emerging logics of visibility and power generated by digital platforms. The results highlight how TikTok contributes to the construction of a predominantly positive and spectacularized narrative of the city, in which issues related to overtourism are marginalized. Influencers, the main producers of content, convey an aestheticized and desirable image of Naples, while critical content is predominantly produced by traditional media, often with less visibility. The platform itself acts as an active player in the selection and promotion of content, favoring those capable of generating more interaction and penalizing more complex or critical narratives. The analysis highlights a discrepancy between the factual dimension of overtourism-well documented by observable data and phenomena on the ground-and the perceptual one, influenced by viral content and algorithmic feedback loops. Digital representations thus tend to normalize overtourism, turning it into an element of urban success. Finally, it highlights the urgency of developing more conscious and participatory digital strategies, capable of including marginal voices and alternative narratives, for more equitable and sustainable tourism governance.
With today’s evolution of technologies, it is impossible to ignore, at least hypothetically, the reference to IT techniques, particularly those related to artificial intelligence, which can become relevant precisely in their ability to move in a co-programming key. Applying these tools to the so-called crime prevention area through environmental design allows to manage (and synthesize) an enormous mass of data, but it also involves a certain delegation, mediated or immediate, to IT systems, as regards the identification of general objectives and the specific highlighting of the points on which to pay attention and consequently act, according to the methods presented as most efficient.
The adoption of advanced technologies is redefining the ways in which social data is produced, mobilized and governed in European public services. This article analyses 1,883 cases collected in the Public Sector Tech Watch database to explore the transformations underway in the data governance of public services in highly technological contexts. After a theoretical and epistemological reconstruction of the role of digital social data, the research proposes a double analysis: a descriptive mapping of High-Tech Public Services (HTPS) and an investigation of latent structures through a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). The results show how technological innovation in public services does not follow a linear path: on the one hand, standardized solutions, oriented towards automation and prediction, prevail; on the other, fragmented experiments emerge, often in the pilot phase, which employ cutting-edge technologies but remain marginal. Data governance therefore appears segmented: configurations oriented towards administrative efficiency coexist with others aimed at strengthening the link with users, with a significant impact of sub-state levels. The work contributes to a critical reflection on the political nature of contemporary data governance, highlighting how technological choices are not only never neutral, but also make a very significant contribution to the reorganization of public data governance.
The abstract intends to investigate how Artificial Intelligence can be used within the different phases that characterise social research. In particular, it will be discussed how traditional tools and the most innovative e-methods can constructively dialogue with each other, and from this differentiation highlight how Machine Learning can be employed in different Artificial Intelligence models. It will be an opportunity to discuss some of the most innovative and well-known search engines and BOTs that make use of generative Artificial Intelligence with a look at traditional search techniques and AI hallucinations.
This study investigates the digital public discourse surrounding the non-consensual kiss by Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, on player Jennifer Hermoso during the celebrations following Spain’s women’s World Cup victory. Employing a netnographic qualitative approach, the research analyzes user-generated comments on Facebook posts from three major Italian newspapers—La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Corriere dello Sport, and Il Corriere della Sera—to explore the interpretative frames, social representations, and discursive dynamics emerging from the incident. Findings reveal a polarization of opinions shaped by the editorial orientation of the media outlets: sports-specialized newspapers tend to downplay the event, often situating it within a celebratory sporting context, while the generalist outlet features predominantly critical and socio-politically framed reactions. The study highlights the significant role of digital filter bubbles and echo chambers in structuring information exposure and reinforcing ideological homogeneity, thereby influencing the visibility and interpretation of gender-based violence in online spaces. This research contributes to understanding how misogyny and gendered online violence are mediated and contested within segmented digital environments, emphasizing the methodological challenges and ethical considerations inherent in analyzing public interactions on social media.
In a highly digitised society characterised by growing interconnection between the analogue and digital dimensions, sociology is faced with new methodological challenges in understanding emerging social practices. Science and technology studies (STS) have played a crucial role in investigating digital technologies, especially through the use of innovative theoretical approaches such as actor-network theory (ANT), developed by Latour and Callon. This standpoint accentuates the inherent materiality and heterogeneity of socio-technical networks, underscoring the interaction between human and non-human agents in the configuration of quotidian experiences. In this theoretical context, the concept of digital footprints proposed by Latour offers an interesting interpretative key for analysing technologically mediated human behaviour, emphasising how digital technologies are deeply rooted in everyday social practices. The present paper is concerned with the issue of online participation in the domain of scientific knowledge, with a particular focus on the potential offered by Citizen Science projects in creating and supporting digital communities of practice. The central question concerns the ability of these collaborative initiatives to promote effective forms of cooperation and interaction through online platforms. In order to answer this question, the walkthrough technique is adopted as a methodological tool that allows the researcher to take the user’s point of view, systematically exploring the technical, symbolic and socio-material characteristics of digital platforms. The analysis conducted on iNaturalist, a globally popular citizen science platform, allows for a detailed examination of user interaction with the technological and community elements of the platform itself. The findings indicate that iNaturalist, through the integration of algorithmic mechanisms and reputational dynamics, can effectively foster the development of online epistemic communities. This process, however, is accompanied by the emergence of critical concerns regarding inclusivity, algorithmic transparency, and the participatory governance of digital scientific knowledge.
The present study explores the dynamics of gentrification and its connection with the phenomenon of touristification. The analysis focuses on the case of the city of Naples, which in recent years has experienced a significant increase in tourist flows. After presenting the theoretical frameworks of gentrification and touristification, examining their origins, dimensions, and socio-economic and cultural implications, a research strategy was adopted that emphasizes the use of digital and digitized geographic and territorial sources. Through high-resolution spatial analysis, the results highlight both direct and indirect relationships between touristification and gentrification.
This article introduces the concept of the algomorphic threshold as a theoretical and epistemological tool to understand the transformations induced by generative artificial intelligence in the production of knowledge and subjectivity. Drawing on feminist epistemologies, actor-network theory, and the philosophy of individuation, the algomorphic threshold is presented not as a metaphor but as a conceptual device that enables critical analysis of hybrid, iterative, and performative processes. The article argues that the presence of algoagents in contemporary technosocial environments demands a rethinking of epistemological categories such as agency, neutrality, and objectivity. Through the lens of algomorphic sociology, the threshold emerges as a generative space of negotiation where human and non-human actors co-produce meaning, norms, and affective regimes. This framework not only highlights the political and situated nature of algorithmic infrastructures but also proposes a shift toward a relational and embodied understanding of knowledge—one that foregrounds co-dependence, partiality, and care.
The emerging application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses a substantial challenge to understanding how these technologies harm and benefit individuals and society. Our study focuses on the narratives of YouTube videos regarding AI. The narratives on these platforms develop meanings shared on the Internet and can have performative effects on the materiality of technology. Studying AI narratives is crucial to understanding the complexities of contemporary and future developments. One of the main challenges in the design, development, and deployment of these technologies concerns sustainable development, and the topic of sustainability has declined in environmental, social, technological, and economic terms. This research investigates the presence of these themes within the narratives on AI present on YouTube. YouTube hosts a wide range of content, including informative videos from public institutions, tech industries, experts, and creators. Such actors produce videos containing narratives about AI, which are then disseminated among platform users and other media channels. For this research, we used the YouTube search engine, looking for videos on AI and selecting those with a duration equal to or greater than 20 minutes. We extracted the subtitles from the videos, on which we performed a file structuring process and subsequent textual analysis. We argue that narratives, through their performativity, can influence the vision of sustainability, applying a selective power. This research addresses these narratives through a quantitative and qualitative exploration of sustainability through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) conceptual framework and the SDGs word list produced by Whittingham et al., 2023. This approach enables us to understand how the YouTube video narratives can be framed within the SDG conceptualisation. These narratives may influence relevant actors, shape government local policies, and influence corporate investments. They may also determine which technologies are developed, who benefits from them, and what possible future scenarios open or close.
Il presente lavoro si propone di esplorare i possibili impatti causati dalla pandemia Covid-19, ed il ruolo assunto dalla dimensione sociale e culturale del territorio, rispetto al benessere psicologico individuale. Lo studio trae spunto da un'indagine condotta nel febbraio 2020 e ripetuta un anno dopo, nel febbraio 2021, ed effettuata su un campione di popolazione di un comune dell'area metropolitana milanese, Baranzate. La ricerca si orienta nel filone degli studi di comunità ed attraverso il confronto tra le due annualità, ha l’obbiettivo di evidenziare i possibili cambiamenti avvenuti rispetto alle principali determinanti raccolte, e che compongono il benessere psicologico individuale, ulteriormente verificare l’influenza delle attività socio-culturali sulla composizione del benessere psicologico individuale.
Cities are crucial in environmental education. Urban contexts serve as immersive learning environments and outdoor classrooms facilitating direct contact with nature. In a socio-ecological perspective, cities can be seen as the object of education, if interpreted as complex urban ecosystems with non-linear relation between their biotic and abiotic components. Furthermore, citizens represent key targets of environmental education, in a wide spectrum from awareness to participatory capacity. Within the challenges of ecological transition, transformation of urban lifestyles together with socio-economic and territorial models is necessary, as cities represent the main habitat of human population and the main cultural, political and economic centers. The UNESCO Learning Cities Network underscores the importance of cities in promoting lifelong and inclusive learning, fostering informal education models to reach a broader demographic, including adults excluded from formal and non-formal curricula. This challenge can be addressed through public and community strategies—such as events, public space design, activities in community spaces—and extensive use of digital technologies. They can support education through increased immersiveness, simulation, integration of informative layers and interaction, and accessibility. Furthermore, these tools are radically changing urban experience and management: IoT and digital interfaces provide information, change perceptions, and enable immersive inhabitation models, while data collection, AI, and 3D interfaces allow for complex, participatory management of urban spaces, economies, and territories. This contribution explores the role of digital technologies in enhancing informal lifelong environmental education in cities. By analyzing literature and case studies, it highlights emerging theoretical approaches and design solutions, and presents an interpretative framework to advance understanding and inform policies for urban environmental education. This framework is based on: (i) the five fundamental environmental education objectives (awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, participation) identified by UNESCO and UNEP; (ii) the four capacities of digital technologies for education (immersion, simulation, integration of informative layers and interaction, accessibility); and (iii) three types of digital technologies (augmented reality, video mapping for digital art, digital participatory platforms). The results reveal innovative methodologies and the need for further integration within policies and curricula.
In his novel Invisible Cities (1972), Italo Calvino, the well-known Italian writer (1923-1985), creates a fascinating and complex urban world that, beyond its narrative and fable-like character, offers a view of remarkable interest to urban sociologists. The writer’s urban imagery is rooted in a cultural system that looks at the city as a fundamental element of Western civilization. The cities of his imagination belong to a long tradition of reflection on urban realities; at the same time, they are an expression of a historical and cultural period that began to question their transformation in late industrial and post-industrial society. On the other hand, some scientific studies of the city have a narrative aspect and propose theories that can be read as stories and sometimes use storytelling to convey the complexity of the urban experience. This makes the relationships between theory and imagination and between science and literature much more subtle and dynamic than they are usually believed to be. Calvino’s urban universe surpasses the cities that he knew and seems to include cities that evolved after the publication of his book and even after his death. This is the case, for instance, of Dubai and other postmodern “fantasy cities”. Moreover, the cities of his imagination may be interpreted as elements of an urban view that defragments the city and anticipates some recent scientific analyses.
