Giuseppe Riva writes:

In response to this pressing need for greater insight into social media, researchers have proposed a novel Disembodied Disconnect Hypothesis.

Introduced in a recent paper by different European and American researchers coordinated by the Humane Technology Lab, at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart, this framework examines how digital platforms reshape social behaviours without necessarily altering cognitive structures.

The hypothesis posits that while digital platforms create new opportunities for interaction, they fundamentally differ from traditional, in-person social engagement. Researchers say this can have major psychological and social consequences.

Historically, communities have been built through face-to-face interactions in shared physical spaces.

These interactions engage what researchers term “we-mode” processes, including behavioural synchrony (coordinated movements and expressions), shared attention (joint focus on objects or events), interbrain coupling (synchronised neural activity across individuals), and emotional attunement (shared emotional states).

These embodied neurobiological mechanisms are not merely byproducts of social interaction but are fundamental to interpersonal bonding, the formation of collective identities, and the equitable distribution of social capital across diverse groups.

For instance, studies have shown that behavioural synchrony in communal rituals can increase prosocial behaviour and in-group cohesion, while interbrain coupling during face-to-face dialogue correlates with mutual understanding and empathy.

By contrast, digital interactions eliminate many of these physical dynamics. While this grants individuals unprecedented freedom to choose their activities and social groups, it also reduces engagement with “we-mode” processes.

Digital communities often bring together like-minded individuals, which can foster polarisation and deepen social inequalities. [Continue reading…]