RESEARCH

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OUR RESEARCH

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NEEDS

Humans are first and foremost social animals. They must connect with others to satisfy their fundamental needs. Accordingly, in recent decades, empirical research has found that experiencing instances of social exclusion (e.g., rejection, ostracism, isolation, loneliness, bullying, and discrimination)—especially when prolonged—can cause a wide array of negative consequences, including—but not limited to—negative emotions, feelings of social pain, depression, a decline in cognitive abilities, aggressive tendencies, poor health outcomes, and a reduced life expectancy.

THE CENTRAL ROLE OF THE NEED FOR SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

Classical conceptualizations (Maslow, 1943) have already considered the need to belong. However, this need was subordinated to the satisfaction of other more basic needs (eg physiological needs such as food, water, warmth, rest, and safety). More recently, we have gone from a hierarchical vision of needs, where physiological ones are at the bottom and most abstract ones at the top, to a different perspective in which the need for social connections is central to the satisfaction of all others. The rationale behind this new conceptualization is evolutionary. If we imagine the context in which our mind and brain have evolved, it is likely that the presence of other individuals was the key to the satisfaction of all our needs, including those physiological of food and water. In that context, compared with individuals with social connections, individuals alone had a strong competitive disadvantage for their own survival.

HOW DIGITAL TECNOLOGY CAN RESPOND TO HUMAN NEEDS

As social connections were the gateway to the satisfaction of all the basic needs of our ancestors, the Internet seems to allow us to fulfill these needs without being physically connected with others. Through the internet, we humans can order food, get shelters, and satisfy our sexual desires. We can communicate and feel part of a community without ever leaving our room. On social networks, through the echo chambers phenomenon, we can have the perception of living in a predictable and safe world, where our opinion is always the norm. Finally, the Internet allows us to manage our image and reputation in real time, on audiences that do not have space and time constraints, selecting which contents and pictures to post.