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Cyber Psychology: Study of Human Behaviour With Respect to Technology

Updated: Dec 21, 2020


pic credit: king university online


With the advent of PubG, Mobile Premier League and Rummy Circle online gaming is fast becoming the next big thing in India.

With recharges at minimum amount entertainment is now just a click away.

Shopping is clickable hence from food to gadgets you can just order by clicking.

People now discuss shopping hauls, discounts and sales per app than shops.

Technology seems everywhere you have google assistants and alexa talking to you virtually about anything.


Psychology deals with human with respect to their mind and behavior. Say for example someone has emotional issues and is not able to function normally in their day to day life or if you have started experiencing changes in your partner's behavior then you need a counsellor.

Its the same with technology. Cyber Psychology is an emerging branch in psychiatry.

As wikipedia states "Cyberpsychology (also known as Internet psychology, web psychology, or digital psychology) is a developing field that encompasses all psychological phenomena associated with or affected by emerging technology. "

Say you are feeling low, lo behold Amazon is just a click away and you shop, shop as no one's watching. Or take the example of teenagers who are high on energy start playing games and just hooked to it. Social media has given rise to a new set of celebrities called influencers, new careers have emerged due to the rise of technology.

The emergence of cyber psychology seemed imminent as technology has disrupted human life.

Phones, particularly smart have become a necessity besides food, clothing and shelter . Since we are so hooked to technology it has led to the emergence of a new culture who had heard words like trolling, digital detox so often 10yrs back.

Despite smart phones people still complain of time management, over communication is complicating relations so also too much access to information is flooding people's memory. Its easier to google than remember tasks.

COVID has made technology all the more a necessity.

How Technology has Impacted Family Life:

Parents of today's age are digital immigrants who have to struggle to learn each and every gadget, whereas their kids are like digital native meaning they know how to use gadgets much easily. This leads to less control on the child's digital activities. Ed-Tech has made online education very simple and easy to access. You can now teach programming to even 7year olds. Screen time has increased leading to less attention span. Children with special needs are benefited with technology they choose the speed of learning. There are apps written for children with cognitive issues. The lines are blurring as more and more avenues of education are opening.

Parents have to juggle between household chores, office work and family duties. Time management still remains a major issue coz people are now available almost anytime and everywhere. In India people are now seriously thinking of buying dishwashers which before the pandemic was not a necessity at all. Budgets at home also include buying latest gadgets. Family time is in form of making friends with each other on Facebook or social media. With everyone's various preferences there is a device in every room and binge watching is the latest stress reliever.

Developing hobbies, art and craft, DIY projects are the latest way of upgrading and keeps people entertained.


pic credit:tracy santos-weebly

Technology and Education:

Quality of education has definitely improved. There are easier and simpler ways of learning the same thing. Audio, video, digital books, MOOCs are the new sources of education besides the traditional library. Google docs has opened a plethora of storing and sharing information. Self learning is becoming popular as against the teacher standing in the center of the classroom. Teachers have to learn computers and upgrade as much as a technology professional. Stanford, Harvard and other prestigious universities are making their courses now available to everybody. Edtech is fast growing. Hobbies like learning instruments, dance and painting are now taught by famous artists. Creativity and motivation are thriving.


pic credit:ebsco


Technology and Psychology:

This year saw the rise and rise of the OTT platform. The Social Dilemma exposed how social media companies used technology to manipulate users and addict them to social media sites. A handful of technologists now have control of millions and billions of data allowing them to control how we think and behave in life. No wonder millions of people have limited their screen time after watching this show. Psychologists are employed by online brands to understand consumer behavior to boost sales and viewership. Consumer psychology is based on the principles of behaviorism where external factors can drive individuals purchasing decision. Netflix is a good example showing a great integration of psychology to keeping people engaged on their platform.



When I was learning driving the car used to drive me and I thought I would never learn the beast however with practice I eventually found my zen.

How do you think your is your psychology with respect to technology? Is technology driving you or your driving technology



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