Abstract: This essay aims to critically analyze the transformations of human priorities within the network society, in light of Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs. The specific objectives are: (i) to reflect on the reconfiguration of human needs in the era of hyperconnectivity; (ii) to propose the New Pyramid of Digital Priorities as a theoretical and reflective model; and (iii) to discuss the impacts of this reorganization on different generations, with implications for well-being, mental health, and social bonds. Methodologically, this is a theoretical essay with a qualitative approach, grounded in a bibliographic review and critical analysis of classical and contemporary authors from the fields of psychology, sociology, and digital studies. No empirical data or interviews are used, adopting a reflective and interpretive perspective. As a result, the study proposes the New Pyramid of Digital Priorities, in which access to the internet and functional connectivity constitute the structural base; At the intermediate levels, the model includes virtual belonging, online social acceptance, digital identity, and algorithmic recognition; and, at the top, self-actualization mediated by performance, engagement, and digital symbolic capital. This structure reveals a partial inversion of the logic proposed by Maslow, highlighting tensions between biological and emotional needs and the symbolic demands of the digital environment. The study concludes that technology, especially social media and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, society has ceased to be merely a means and has come to occupy a central position in the contemporary hierarchy of human needs. The absence of empirical data and the essayistic nature of the study is acknowledged as a limitation, since the work is intended as a conceptual provocation and as a foundation for future research.
Authors: BRANDÃO, Iraê César
DOI: 10.29327/7742095
Publish Year: 2025
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