“‘Sea outside’ does not cause emulation among young people: Campania psychologists compare the fiction-violence combination

At the conference of the Order of Psychologists of Campania, in Naples, stars and producers of the famous TV series were also present.

NAPLES – Mothers worried because their children are fans of violent TV series? Psychologists reassure: “I feel I can exclude a direct link between fiction and the violent behavior of young people, also because the theories on emulation have been disconfirmed since the 1970s”, this is the point of view of the president of the Order of Psychologists of Campania, Armando Cozzuto on the subject. “We should rather ask ourselves more about the social context – he continues – and how we can intervene, because if we have kids who already have a weapon in their hands as children, we cannot assign the responsibilities to a fiction, which it does nothing but narrate a reality in a television way”. The possible impact on young people of TV series that tell the stories of minor offenders was at the center of the conference entitled ‘Dialogues on darkness: the contribution of psychology on minor offenders‘, organized in Naples by the Order of Psychologists of Campania.

A discussion that involved the regional councilor for School, Social Policies and Youth Policies, Lucia Fortini; the director of the penal institute for minors of Nisida, Gianluca Guida; the actress Giovanna Sannino, who plays Carmela Valestro in the TV series Mare Fuori; Francesco Pinto, Picomedia associate producer of Mare Fuori; Mauro Girmoldi, legal psychologist and expert in juvenile criminology and behavioral disorders in adolescence.

“FICTIONS TELL A ROMANCED REALITY”

“We live in a complex city – adds Cozzuto – and in recent months we have witnessed events that have led to the death of young boys. We wanted to activate a discussion with institutional representatives to understand how to prevent and intervene on an issue that raises public awareness and very often leads to labeling of parents and schools”.
When dealing with complex phenomena, Cozzuto points out, “it is not possible to resort to a cause-effect explanation they do nothing but tell a reality – he adds – which is also fictionalized. If we also want to ask ourselves about the emulative aspects we can do so, but the cause certainly cannot be found there”.
“I think that people must always find an explanation. scapegoat to blame – says Sannino, one of the protagonists of the TV series co-produced by Rai and Picomedia – Taking responsibility for something that’s wrong, whether it’s family or social, is always very complicated. We are instruments that tell reality, whether it is true or fictional. Mare Fuori sends a message, namely that no one saves themselves. All kids make mistakes, but they have the chance to start again thanks to healthy adults”.
During the round table, the impact that social media can have, in particular Tik Tok, was also discussed. “It is an extremely powerful platform – warns Cozzuto – and, like all powerful tools, it is a harbinger of critical aspects. Some countries have also begun to introduce a reward-based system, which increases the dependency on usage. A reflection certainly needs to be made, but I always believe that the problem is not social media itself, but the use that is made of it”.
Sannino follows the same line: “As a young person who uses these platforms – he explains – I don’t think that can influence a mentality so much, so much so as to lead a young person down wrong or criminal paths. I think it’s all about education, school, institutions, the life you live, the paths you fortunately or unfortunately take. This is what a person does, then if you spend a little more on social media you certainly don’t end up becoming criminals.”