Introduzione - Segni del tempo: Il volto anziano nell’era digitale

This paper introduces this volume of I Saggi di Lexia, which explores the relationship between older adults and digital technologies, with a particular focus on the elderly’s faces as a central element in interactions with digital platforms and self-representation, both online and offline. The volume addresses the converging phenomena of population aging and the growing digitalization of daily life, offering a semiotic reading of their intersections. The contributions gathered examine aging as a social and cultural process rather than a medical-technological one, analysing how technologies can enhance the memory and experiences of the elderly, promoting an inclusive vision of aging. The face emerges as both a symbol and an object of semiotic study, reflecting the passage of time, emotions and identity, and as a site of interaction between biology, culture and technology. Additionally, the contributions explore how technology can be used to improve the quality of life for the elderly, highlighting the potential of intergenerational storytelling, images and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. The volume also proposes concrete solutions, such as the EUFACETS project, which aims to facilitate memory sharing between the elderly and their families through digital platforms, addressing the challenges of ageism and promoting a more empathetic and human vision of aging.