For a full list of titles in The Basics series, please visit https://www.routledge.com/The-Basics/book-series/B
We can't imagine our lives without the Internet. It is the tool of our existence; without it we couldn't work, plan our social and leisure activities, and interact with friends. The Internet’s influence on contemporary society extends across every aspect of our personal and professional lives, but how has this altered us in psychological terms? How are we to understand how the Internet can promote enormous amounts of caring and kindness to strangers and yet be the source of unremitting acts of terror?
This book, grounded in the latest cutting-edge research, enhances our understanding of how we, and our children, behave online. It explores questions such as:
• Why does our self-control abandon us sometimes on the Internet?
• Why does the Internet create a separate realm of social and personal relationships?
• How does all that change us as people?
• Are youngsters really as exposed and threatened on the web as people think?
Internet Psychology: The Basics is a vital and fascinating guide to the online world, drawing on classic theories of human behaviour to shed fresh light on this central facet of modern life. It argues that, even in an age of constant technological advancement, our understanding of the human psyche remains rooted in these well-established theories. Embracing both positive and negative aspects of Internet use, this easy introduction to the subject will appeal to students and general readers alike.
Author(s): Yair Amichai-Hamburger
Series: The Basics
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2017
Language: English
Commentary: True PDF
Pages: 201
Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
1 Who are we online?
Feeling of anonymity
Control over level of physical exposure
High control over communications
Ease in locating like-minded people
Accessibility and availability at all times and places
Feelings of equality
Fun of web surfing
Where does this all lead?
The flipside: Can things go wrong?
A final word
References
2 Does our personality affect our online behavior?
Freud and the Internet: Can the Internet accommodate the toppling of conventions and release of the id?
E-therapy: How does it work, is it a good idea, and what would Freud think?
Pros and cons of e-Therapy
Who benefits from the Internet?
What other personality theories are relevant to Internet use?
Need for closure
Narcissism
Attachment theory
Sensation-seeking
A final word
References
3 Is true love obtainable via the Internet?
What is the importance of love in our life?
What is love?
Physiology
Commerce
Emotions
Can you find real love online?
Intimacy: What happens when we fall in love with a fantasy?
How do individual differences affect online love?
Why do we trust people online so speedily?
What is the attraction of online love?
What are the boundaries of online infidelity?
When is it permissible to stretch our personal details?
How can we distinguish between real intimacy and public relations?
Do more romantic options lead to better decisions?
Falling in love with a celebrity: how real is it?
A final word
References
4 Violence on the Internet
How does the Internet encourage aggression?
Is anonymity a necessity for aggressive online behavior?
Does the Internet turn good people bad?
Who are more aggressive online, men or women?
How do terrorist organizations use the Internet?
Who are the hackers and what makes them tick?
What kind of people are hackers?
Do real Robin Hood hackers exist?
Does the Internet provide a venue for aggression against women?
A final word
References
5 Youth and the Internet: Entering the enchanted forest?
From the perspective of children, what are the main advantages of the Internet?
What are the pros and cons of Facebook for children?
How does online pornography affect children?
How does violence in online games affect children?
Is it possible to identify a child’s addiction to the Internet?
Anorexia and the Internet
What is cyberbullying and how does it impact children?
How can parents regain influence in the digital world?
How can we partake in our children’s online lives?
What Internet topics should you discuss with your children?
A final word
References
6 Groups and leaders
What did you say?
Are groups relevant to the online experience?
Partially online groups
Groups that exist only online
Can we be significant individuals and group members on the Internet simultaneously?
What is the minimum condition needed to create a group?
Is anonymity likely to eliminate group identity?
Are group norms and cultures evident in Internet groups?
What is conformity and how is it relevant online?
Do online groups tend to move to extreme positions?
Do online group members give their best efforts?
Do we need leaders online?
Can anyone become an online leader?
Is charisma relevant to being a leader in the online world?
How can one become an e-leader?
Digital literacy
Build trust
Open communication
Access to information
Task orientation
Emotional focus
Challenge the paradigms of followers
Vision
Establishing a culture through the net
Creativity
What are the main hazards facing e-leaders?
A final word
References
7 How can we use the Internet to create a better world?
What special advantages does online volunteering offer?
Individual level
Interpersonal level
Group identity
Solving the conflict between the desire for autonomy and the need to belong
Self-actualization
How can the Internet reduce aggression between countries and communities?
Intergroup conflict: bringing rival groups together
How can the Internet play a part in intergroup contact?
Online contact between Catholic and Protestant children in Ireland
Online contact between Israeli Jewish and Muslim student teachers
What happens when online intergroup contact is allowed to run free?
Can online games promote better intergroup relations?
What additional online tools can we use to reduce stereotypical thinking and improve intergroup relationships?
Identity enrichment
Online intergroup role-playing
Training online change agents
A final word
Notes
References
8 How do we successfully navigate our way through the digital jungle?
What are our primary cultural values and how do they affect us?
Individuality
Efficiency – time is money
Materialism – I am what I can buy
What’s next? The cutting-edge technological developments that will soon change our lives forever
Robots and emotion
Internet of five senses
Inanimate objects online
Total documentation of action
Lighthouse values
How do we overcome communication technology’s hold over our lives and govern its effects?
A final word
References
Glossary
Index
