Emotional Embodiment in the Digital Age: The Digitization of Emotions

The aim of this paper is to propose a sociological and interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the digitization of emotions in adolescence. This contribution aims to promote theoretical reflection and inform educational and political interventions in the digital age, framing adolescents’ digital experiences as emotionally embodied and socially integrated processes. These aspects are concepts of great importance thanks to (or because of) the rapid spread of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which has brought about a profound transformation in the emotional, relational, and educational experiences of adolescents. The role of digital and AI-based environments in mediating communication is expanding beyond simple facilitation. These environments are increasingly involved in the production, modulation, and regulation of emotions, thus influencing developmental trajectories and identity formation processes (Lupton, 2018a; Belk, 2013). This is conceptualized as a socio-technical process through which emotions are embodied, narrated, and governed within digital environments (Auriemma, 2023a). Consequently, the article introduces the concept of digital emotional embodiment, drawing on the sociology of emotions, theories of embodiment, and critical perspectives on artificial intelligence. Specifically, the concept refers to the way adolescents experience and express emotions through avatars, images, emojis, algorithmic feedback, and AI-mediated interactions (Niedenthal, Winkielman, Mondillon & Vermeulen, 2009; Zimmermann, Wehler & Kaspar, 2023). Therefore, it is important to emphasize the transformation of empathy, which is increasingly configured as a virtualized and datafied process, moving away (transforming) from that linked to Sympathy and to which we have been accustomed since Hume. In new processes, shaped by the logic of platforms, recommendation systems, and emotionally reactive technologies, standard emotional concepts have been deconstructed, and digital constructs are slowly being restructured (Scribano & Mairano, 2021; Auriemma, 2023b). In this context, AI systems do not merely reflect adolescents’ emotions, but actively contribute to the construction of emotional narratives, influencing emotional regulation, social connection, and future orientation. Digital environments have the capacity to encourage emotional expressiveness, experimentation, and inclusivity (Gall, Roth, Stauffert, Zarges & Latoschik, 2021). Conversely, they can also promote emotional standardization, dependence, and forms of affective vulnerability, particularly during a sensitive developmental stage such as adolescence.