Psychology & Social Media
With so many individuals using the Internet today, the psychology of the individual, the family, the community, and the society has changed. Some might argue that the traditional psychological theories cannot be applied and therefore psychology as an entire field needs to be revamped to incorporate the impact and the application of internet technology. As a student completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, your future career will undoubtedly incorporate the use of the Internet in very new ways. One area of information technology that will most likely impact your career, no matter which direction you choose, will be social media (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, LinkdIn, Twitter, etc.). Social networks allow users to create profiles and interact with its users. The percentage of worldwide social networking users is increasing steadily, suggesting a new culture is developing.
Read the following article from the AUO Library:
Barak, A. (1999). Psychological applications on the Internet: A discipline on the threshold of a new millennium. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 8, 231-246.
Using a similar format as Barak (1999) did to review ten types of psychological applications on the Internet, identify and discuss an application of psychology with social media. Be sure to state the advantages and the disadvantages, including any potential ethical issues that might apply.
