DIGITAL ADOLESCENCE AND SOCIAL ISOLATION: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND REPERCUSSIONS ON COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

This study analyzes the phenomenon of social isolation in adolescence within contexts of intense digital mediation and its repercussions on the development of communication and interpersonal relationships in adulthood. Adolescence is understood as a critical phase of human development, marked by psychosocial, cognitive, and neurological transformations, in which the construction of identity and relational skills depends directly on the quality of social interactions. In this scenario, the expansion of digital technologies has reconfigured forms of sociability, promoting a paradox: greater virtual connectivity associated with increased loneliness and the impoverishment of affective bonds. Social isolation is approached as a multidimensional phenomenon that goes beyond the absence of contact, involving the subjective perception of disconnection and the low quality of relationships. Communication mediated by technologies limits fundamental experiences, such as the reading of emotional expressions and face-to-face interaction, hindering the development of essential communicative skills. This process tends to become self-reinforcing, further hindering the construction of meaningful bonds. In adulthood, these experiences can result in difficulties with intimacy, relational insecurity, communication deficits, and increased vulnerability to psychological disorders. Despite this, the study emphasizes that such impacts are not deterministic and can be modified through restorative experiences and appropriate interventions. It concludes that the phenomenon requires scientific, clinical, and social attention, highlighting the importance of promoting face-to-face interactions and quality relationships during adolescent development.