The Digital Landscape in Italy

If you have ever visited Italy, it is likely you will agree that people are more relaxed and not connected to the digital world and their mobile devices 24/7/365. Italians break for siesta, visit cafés for Internet access and stop for a shot of espresso on their way home from work. As such, it is quite different from the fast-paced, multitasking American way of life, which consists of eating lunch at your desk, emailing and talking on the phone at the same time and working until the wee hours of the night. But who is complaining?

Studying abroad my junior year of college in Florence, Italy gave me a taste of living in a city that was serene. I remember feeling out of place and strange when stores, banks and the post office would close for siesta. But after a few weeks, I was completely adjusted and got used to taking it slow. Coming back to the United States was a different story.

My journey to Italy began in 2001, which seems like ages ago. Since then, a lot has changed especially in the digital realm. While I was there, it was a daily chore to go to the local Internet Café to send email to friends and family back in America. Needless to say, all we did was email and leave to tour the beautiful city. Visiting websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter were not daily routes and unheard of at the time.

Although I miss Italy very much and promised myself and my fiancé that we would go back, I have often wondered what has changed in terms of their technology and acceptance of social networking. That being said, when I came across Kara Swisher’s blog entry on All Things Digital I was engaged with the story, especially since she discussed the digital trends and the popular conference “Tutto Cambio, Cambiano Tutto?” That roughly translates into “Everything changes, but should everything change?”

Kara indicated that Internet penetration is much lower in Italy then elsewhere in Europe and television still dominates most media. She attended the conference in Italy and said the following: “’We’re 2,000 years old’ is something you hear a lot from people as an explanation for approaching everything, from social networking to iPhones to anything interactive, with some wariness. While most people here note that they like Facebook, pronounced ‘FAY-sa BOO-ka,’ hardly anyone sees the point of Web 2.0’s trend du jour, Twitter (‘TWEE-tur’).” While few people have heard it, those that have don’t use it.

What surprises me the most is how fast Americans have embraced these websites and social applications and have made them part of their daily lives, while Italians are moving at a leisurely pace. Even though I mentioned earlier that the Italian lifestyle is much slower, it seems like they would want to at least keep up with popular social networking sites, especially when other countries in Europe have adopted them. I am always amused when I hear that Italian designers define the fashion trends and style guides for the fall and spring seaons, but when it comes to other aspects they lag far behind.

For more information, check out Kara’s interview with several Italians at the conference: