Cyberpsychology is a relatively new yet rapidly growing area – it refers to the study of the mind and behaviour in the context of interactions with technology. It is an emerging area focused on the various psychological phenomena linked to the increasing presence and usage of technology in our lives. It encompasses topics ranging from online relationships and digital identity to the applications and implications of artificial intelligence and virtual reality.¹

Why should doctors take note?

From smart phone apps to telemedicine consultations, there are many companies and health service providers trying to get ahead of the latest trends. The sheer constellation of platforms, sites and apps can be bewildering: this broad array of developments can understandably intimidate doctors simply trying to keep up with their patients.

In addition to its many benefits however, technology also has the capacity to have a direct negative impact on one’s health. It can serve as a platform to enact other often more hidden and damaging behaviours that can be associated with warranting medical attention. Furthermore, anything that significantly changes how people interact with each other and seek out information, could change how they interact – and importantly how they expect to interact – with their doctors. 

Cyberpsychology has almost universal relevance for doctors, but particularly for those working in general practice, addictions and mental health, especially those working with children and adolescents.

Many doctors are familiar with the patient utterly convinced of an exotic diagnosis gleaned from the pages of health websites – of varying quality – or generated by an alluring symptom-checking program. The risks of misinformation on the internet exist with every click. Many practitioners will have seen a patient with health anxiety exacerbated by extensive internet research or one complaining of chronic poor sleep despite spending hours on end on their phone in bed. This so-called ‘cyberchondria’ can escalate readily, lead to doctor-shopping and has the clear potential for iatrogenic harm. Similarly, over-use of the internet may have serious wider consequences for relationships, or even employment. 

These types of problems are neither uncommon, nor surprising. There are many other modern health issues however that carry a cyberpsychology dimension. Explaining the psychological basis of each is beyond the scope of this article. However, if we follow the life-span and consider several examples you may reflect on related issues you have encountered and ultimately consider how a better understanding of cyberpsychology might assist you in your day-to-day practice regardless of your specialty.

Across the lifespan

Young parents may present to their doctor wondering about the efficacy of digital educational aids, or the appropriate age to allow young children to have access to a ‘screen-time’ and how much is too much. As this child progresses in school the issue of smart phone ownership will inevitably crop up and parents may understandably seek advice from their doctor.

The universal peer pressures familiar to us from our own school days may unfold on social media platforms. Thankfully not many of us were likely to ‘go viral’ while still in school; our embarrassments and misadventures were typically consigned to mere memory alone. Sadly, this is not the case today. Bullying can naturally follow on these platforms, progress unnoticed and unfortunately, often follows the child home after school via their smart phone or social media accounts. 

Adults are not immune to the social media pressures experienced by children and some may become consumed in cultivating an idealised image of themselves for others at the cost of their own personal happiness or even relationships. For many, online dating apps are changing how they meet new people. Issues emergent from these include identity theft, ‘catfishing’ (where someone pretends to be someone they are not online and forms a friendship or relationship with you) and changes in sexual behaviour both online and offline. Regarding pornography, in some cases excessive use could see a drift in online content-seeking from more mainstream to hardcore and even illegal materials.

Children suffering from eating disorders or who begin to self-harm may see their harmful behaviour escalate in association with access to fora and websites promoting such behaviour among their peers. There may be pressure to send ‘sexts’ to classmates with the associated risk of exploitation and even onward transfer of images into more sinister corners of the internet such as the dark web where they may be traded. 

The popularity of video games – some extremely violent in its content – is not limited to children and adolescents. Both may present with patterns of gaming suggestive of dependency and to the detriment of their schoolwork, relationships, or work life. The hidden costs of online gambling may emerge at a later stage than in the days pre-internet.

Patients may present to their doctors suffering from side-effects from, or dependency on internet-bought illicit or prescription drugs. These are widely available on the dark web. Such patients may present acutely to emergency departments and doctors working in these settings must get abreast of the latest substances being abused. The proliferation of such marketplaces online may lead to less typical demographics beginning to misuse various drugs.

Conclusion

Issues of particular relevance to medicine are the almost ubiquitous use of smart phones, the plethora of health apps, the internet as a first port of call for researching health issues, the impact of technology on the developing child, the real-life consequences of social media and the dark web, to name but a few. 

For doctors faced with such issues in a clinical context, a sensible place to start is by firstly considering the psychology behind our increasing dependence on technology. Understanding the psychological basis of our own online behaviour could help us in assisting our patients.

Reference

1. British Psychological Society, (2017). A to Z of psychology. [online] Available at: https://beta.bps.org.uk/a-z-of-psychology [Accessed 24 Mar. 2017]