Mediaevo o Rinascimento? Un’interpretazione del nodo giovani-consumi culturali

During the last ten years, world has changed mainly because of the mass media spread. The reason of this change could lie in the young people cultural behaviours and in their approach to old and new media. Signs of a new historical revolution can be seen in juvenile cultural trends and practices. Is this the sunrise of a new Media Age strictly linked to media instruments and contents or a Renaissance of old media and ancient cultural behaviours is coming?An extended analysis of statistical data helps to dissipate generalizations and superficial interpretations that regard the cultural relationship among young people, communication and culture. This analysis emphasizes the juvenile activism and pluralism of cultural choices. Most of young people watch TV regularly, but less than in the past. They often read a magazine, and about half of them read a newspaper.Young people use the Internet, but perhaps not as much as we think, and not in the way we think. Most of them spend up to an hour a day on the Internet, and send a few emails everyday. They see the Internet as a useful instrument for getting information or playing, but they rarely use chat sites. Most of them have a mobile phone and use it for up to an hour a day to chat to friends and send text messages regularly.But the more interesting result of the analysis is that most of them spend a lot of time with their friends, going out regularly to cinemas, classical and pop concerts, museums, theatres, exhibitions and clubs.Therefore, statistical data and scientific researches show that young people active way of life is based both on the rediscover of traditional cultural practises and an original use of new media.Surely, italian young people uses loisir as a strong material to build their personality and an original approach to the world