Le reti amicali. Significati, esperienze e narrazioni degli adolescenti italiani

[Autom. eng. transl.] The profound changes that have affected contemporary societies have prompted some authors to discuss the increasingly fluid nature of interpersonal relationships. In particular, friendships go through various stages of existence with varying intensity, from childhood to old age. In these passages the friendships change the characteristics, expectations and meanings attributed to them. The contribution, based on the analysis of the results of the questionnaires and the information collected through the focus groups, intends to answer the following research questions: do friendships still represent one of the central hubs in people's lives, especially adolescents? How do the very young define friendships and what expectations do they have towards them? And finally, if and how have new information technologies shaped interpersonal relationships? The picture returned by the adolescents involved, despite the complexity of the different facets, shows how friendly relationships represent crucial resources for Generation Z both from an emotional point of view - friends respond to the needs of support, listening, help, sharing and comparison - both from an instrumental point of view.