Emotional Embodiment in the Digital Age: The Digitization of Emotions

The objective of this paper is to propose a sociological and interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the digitization of emotions in adolescence. This contribution aims to promote theoretical reflection and inform educational and political interventions in the digital age, framing adolescents’ digital experiences as emotionally embodied and socially integrated processes. These aspects are of paramount importance due to the rapid proliferation of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which have precipitated a profound transformation in the emotional, relational, and educational experiences of adolescents. The role of digital and AI-based environments in mediating communication is expanding beyond the scope of simple facilitation. These environments are increasingly implicated in the production, modulation, and regulation of emotions, thereby influencing developmental trajectories and identity formation processes. This phenomenon is theorized as a socio-technical process, wherein emotions are embodied, narrated, and governed within digital environments. The article introduces the concept of digital emotional embodiment, drawing on the sociology of emotions, theories of embodiment, and critical perspectives on artificial intelligence. Specifically, the concept refers to the manner in which adolescents experience and express emotions through avatars, images, emojis, algorithmic feedback, and AI-mediated interactions. Therefore, it is imperative to underscore the evolution of empathy, which is progressively configured as a virtualized and datafied process, diverging from the tradition established by Hume and characterized by sympathy. In contemporary processes, shaped by the logic of platforms, recommendation systems, and emotionally reactive technologies, conventional emotional concepts have undergone deconstruction, and digital constructs are undergoing a gradual restructuring. In this context, AI systems do not merely reflect adolescents’ emotions but rather actively contribute to the construction of emotional narratives, influencing emotional regulation, social connection, and future orientation. Digital environments have been shown to encourage emotional expressiveness, experimentation, and inclusivity. Conversely, they have the capacity to encourage emotional standardization, dependency, and forms of affective vulnerability, particularly during a sensitive developmental stage such as adolescence.