Original articles

Issue 4 - December 2025

Empathy in Youth in the Digital Era: An Experiential Workshop at the Giffoni Film Festival

Authors

Francesco Monaco , Annarita Vignapiano , Stefania Landi , Antonella Boccia , Anna Longobardi , Raffaele Malvone , Ernesta Panarello , Benedetta Di Gruttola , Luca Jr Steardo , Giulio Corrivetti

Key words: Empathy, adolescence, young adulthood, digital communication, psychoeducation, TEQ, Giffoni Film Festival
DOI: 10.36180/2421-4469-2025-1502
Publication Date: 2026-03-06

Abstract

Introduction. Empathy is a crucial socio-emotional skill for the psychological and relational development of adolescents. In the digital era, mediated communication may hinder empathic expression, increasing the risk of isolation, misunderstanding, and dysfunctional behaviors.
Objective. The study aims to assess empathic tendencies using validated self-report measures and explore links with demographic or psychosocial factors. It also evaluates the feasibility of emotional education initiatives within youth cultural events, supporting adolescent development and advancing empathy research.
Methods. During the 2024 Giffoni Film Festival, two 60-minute workshops were conducted for young participants aged 16 to 25. Activities included active listening exercises, guided discussions, and administration of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ).
Results. The workshops helped identify both barriers and facilitators to empathy. The TEQ highlighted varying empathy levels among participants, supporting the need for targeted interventions.
Conclusions. Experiential and psychoeducational activities are effective tools to enhance empathic abilities in youth, particularly in a digital context that can often dampen emotional connection.

Downloads

PDF
Authors

Francesco Monaco - Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Salerno

Annarita Vignapiano - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy; European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Salerno, Italy

Stefania Landi - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Antonella Boccia - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Anna Longobardi - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Raffaele Malvone - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Ernesta Panarello - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Benedetta Di Gruttola - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy

Luca Jr Steardo - Psychiatric Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy

Giulio Corrivetti - Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno; Salerno, Italy; European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Salerno, Italy

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright

Copyright (c) 2026 Italian Journal of Psychiatry

How to Cite
Monaco, F., Vignapiano, A., Landi, S., Boccia, A. ., Longobardi, A., Malvone, R., Panarello, E., Di Gruttola, B., Steardo, L. J., & Corrivetti, G. . (2026). Empathy in Youth in the Digital Era: An Experiential Workshop at the Giffoni Film Festival. Italian Journal of Psychiatry, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.36180/2421-4469-2025-1502
  • Abstract viewed - 0 times
  • PDF downloaded - 0 times