PS 214 - Cyberpsychology

Could you imagine life without the Internet? Some decades ago this was what life was like, there were no smartphones, no computers and no social networks. Now the Internet has reached virtually every corner of the lives of many people, especially among youths and young adults, bringing about tremendous changes in the way we live.

Let’s stop for a moment and consider what this is doing to our lives… how is it affecting the way you and other people think, feel, perceive and define themselves and communicate with others? What are the opportunities and threats it brings to our lives and how can we learn to deal with them in a way that benefits us and our society?

This course is an invitation to take a closer look at how scientific research in cyberpsychology – as a new field of research based on, adding to and extending other psychological disciplines such as social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology – is trying to explain how the Internet is influencing all our lives and to learn more about how these dynamics might influence our future world, in the fields of work and study, leisure and play, identity and relating to others in relationships and groups. 

It will include practically relating the psychological theories to your own online behavior, observing, reflecting and discussing your findings in class as well as field trips to counseling and healthcare centers in Vienna that offer online counseling to their clients.