Happiness 2.0: the initiative aimed at students, parents and adults is back

Post on: 02.05.2025

Happiness 2.0: the new edition of the project on well-being and conscious use of social media and artificial intelligence in adolescence is underway.

The digital world represents a great opportunity for growth, but it also poses important questions, especially for the new generations. To stimulate conscious reflection on the use of social media, artificial intelligence and well-being in adolescence, Happiness 2.0, an initiative aimed at students, parents and adults, promoted by IBSA Foundation for scientific research, Lugano Living Lab and USI. Through experiential and creative workshops, the project invites to explore topics such as digital identity, social relationships and artificial intelligence, with the aim of promoting a healthier and more balanced relationship with the online world.

After the success of 2024, The second edition of the Happiness 2.0 project – Use of social media, artificial intelligence and well-being in adolescence kicks off, promoted by the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, Università della Svizzera italiana and, from this year, also by the City of Lugano through the Lugano Living Lab, new partner for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 editions.

The collaboration between public bodies, private foundations and academic institutions makes the project a virtuous example of synergy at the service of new generations and citizens, to promote a more conscious and human use of digital technologies.

The project is part of the public awareness initiative Digital Consapevole, promoted by Lugano Living Lab – City of Lugano, and is part of the Let's Science! project promoted by IBSA Foundation and the Department of Education, Culture and Sport of the Canton of Ticino (DECS). The event has the patronage of DECS and the scientific support of Dr. Laura Marciano (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness).

In 2024 the project was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and involved over 400 students from the high schools in the Canton of Ticino, promoting conscious reflections on subjective happiness, personality development and social relationships in the digital context.

The novelties of the second edition

For the new editions, Happiness2.0 expands its offer with a greater number of "HappyLab" workshops, aimed not only at students but also at the adult public. The workshops, built with an experiential and interactive approach, combine theory and practice to stimulate critical thinking about the impact of technology and social media on daily well-being.

One of the central modules is the workshop with masks, which explores the dynamics between real and virtual identity. New for 2025 will be the explicit introduction of the theme of artificial intelligence, now an integral part of the digital and social world.

Public events

The experiences and contents that emerged from the workshops will be presented at the CitSciHelvetia 2025 conference in Lausanne (5–6 June) and during the AI Week in Lugano (1–5 December 2025 at the Ciani Kindergarten), where a public debate on AI and digital well-being will also be held, with students, experts and citizens.

Happiness 2.0 | The experts involved:

• Laura Marciano, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, scientific manager of the project
• Silvia Misiti, Director of IBSA Foundation
• Elena Marchiori, USI Lecturer and Project Leader Lugano Living Lab
• Peter Schulz, Professor of Health Communication, USI
• Dario Gennari, Psychologist and Psychotherapist
• Pietro Bianchi, Psychologist and research assistant, USI

Where do the workshops take place?

At Casa Carlo Cattaneo in Lugano (Castagnola), headquarters of the IBSA Foundation since 2022. A symbolic and cultural place where science, creativity and intergenerational dialogue meet.

Happiness 2.0 | How to participate?

• HappyLab for high school classes: contact info@ibsafoundation.org
• HappyLab for parents and adults: Tuesday 7 May at 6.00 pm, Casa Cattaneo (limited places)
• HappyLab autumn 2025 pre-registration: info@ibsafoundation.org

Project info

https://luganolivinglab.ch/it/projects/happiness
https://www.ibsafoundation.org/it/happiness2.0-2025