Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article discusses how the lack of friction in digital environments affects personal growth and development. We define friction as the natural resistance within a medium that forces us to recognize our limits and establish our place within it. This approach draws from Rousseau’s anthropological theory, mainly the dichotomy between Negative and Positive Education; or the differences between a formative process that forces self-awareness and a formative process wherewe become passive consumers of cultural items. Our diagnostic hypothesis is that today’s digital technologies are not designed with digital skills development in mind. Instead, they prioritize easeof use and immediate gratification. By analyzing examples of the evolution of video games and word processing software, we remark how frictionless access to digital goods and the illusion of choice undermine opportunities for meaningful engagement with our digital experiences. This suggeststhat simply restricting screen time isn’t enough to foster complete personal development in ourincreasingly digital world. We must also critically examine how the underlying conditions of these digital spaces shape our behaviors and thinking patterns. The relationship between technologydesign and human development deserves greater attention. The article concludes by calling forthe conversation about implementing Negative Education principles in digital environments bycreating intentional friction points fostering a generation of truly capable digital citizens.
Source: Sophía
Author: Iago Ramos Fernández
Institution: Universidad de Salamanca
Language: English
Topic: Digital Media and Philosophy
Subfield: Computer Science Applications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412413836