Cyberpsychology

Abstract

Cyberpsychology is a relatively new field within applied psychology, which has recently attracted a considerable amount of attention within the academic community. Cyberpsychology emphasises the study of human interactions with the Internet, mobile computing, mobile phones, games consoles, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and any other technology which has demonstrated an ability to alter human behaviour. It also considers how humans interact with each other in these environments, and considers the impact of evolving trends, such as technological convergence and the digital divide, on individuals. The purpose of this article is to outline the scope of the field, and to describe some recent research within sub-topics of cyberpsychology. The article will also attempt to address whether cyberpsychology is a qualitatively new field, or if it is an extension of a number of other fields of psychology.