Toward a research agenda on digital media and humanity well-being :Final report

Digital media, and in particular social media, have a strong influence on individual and societal development. With their expansive reach, they shape our relationships and, by extension, our personalities, collective behaviours, and culture. To address this, the Commission initiated a study on the influence of digital media and social media platforms on individual and societal development. The recommendations emphasise the need to understand and navigate the digital landscape, by promoting Digital Media and Information Literacy (DMIL), researching long-term cognitive impacts of digital media, exploring online socialisation dynamics, mitigating effects of micro-targeting and recommender systems, and ensuring data accessibility for scientific research. They also focus on promoting online trust and privacy, anticipating the future of social media, including AI and immersive technologies, and encouraging new data protocols for portability to foster a healthier digital ecosystem.