Help
A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (e.g. first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in face-to-face or virtual meetings, and finally prioritizing them) with the aim of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.
Examples of participatory processes are: a process of electing committee members (where candidatures are first presented, then debated and finally a candidacy is chosen), participatory budgets (where proposals are made, valued economically and voted on with the money available), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or norm, the design of an urban space or the production of a public policy plan.
R1: Connected Loneliness
Challenge 1
About this process
Are loneliness and isolation inevitable side effects or direct consequences of design decisions aimed at capturing attention?
Initial version of the challenge
At the starting point, loneliness appeared mainly as an individual experience associated with intensive use of mobile phones or social networks. It was felt that there was discomfort, but it was still mainly read as a consequence of “misuse” or excessive connection.
Reformulation after collective work
As the process progressed, loneliness stopped being understood solely as a personal sensation and began to be read as the cumulative effect of several dynamics that reinforce each other: the progressive loss of physical social relationships, the disconnection from reality and other people, the pressure to fit into standards of beauty and behavior, the circulation of manipulated content or the circulation of manipulated content that is not neutral. In this framework, connected loneliness is not explained simply because “we spend a lot of time online,” but because we inhabit environments that intensify insecurity, comparison, homogenization, and isolation.
Key shifts
From personal problem → to systemic problem
From “using your mobile phone too much” → to inhabiting environments that weaken the bond and amplify insecurity
From digital connection → to relational disconnection
From apparently neutral content → to content manipulated, aestheticized and oriented by specific interests
🤯 Dilemmas that we face
MissionDon’t fight for attention—help them regain it.Don’t compete for the young person’s attention, don’t fuel their fear of falling behind, and don’t turn studying into a constantly stressful experience. Help them focus, learn thoughtfully, recognize when they’re overwhelmed, and set healthy bound…
🎭 Scene 1.2: "Beetwen FOMO and JOMO"
Maria is a high school senior preparing for her college entrance exams. Her notes are open, her highlighters are ready, and she has a list of topics to cover. She wants to study, but every time she tries to focus, she hits the same mental block.Her phone vibrates. A new story, a group message, a rec…
🎭 Scene 1.1 – “Connected, but alone”
Based on the original scene created by the young participants.(The characters are maintained and their voices are respected.)The scene opens in Vladimir's room at home. It's Friday afternoon. He's 27 years old and alone. Or so it seems.We immediately hear noise, voices, stimuli. Knocks on the door. …
Related processes
Reference: OS-PART-2026-02-147