Intimacy And Developing Personal Relationships In The Virtual World

Online communication has exploded in the past decade with the development of social networking sites like Facebook, as well as social media applications. As more people turn to the online world to connect with others, they must learn how to develop and maintain personal relationships with very little or no in-person interaction. Intimacy and Developing Personal Relationships in the Virtual World sheds light on the various issues that accompany online interactions. The book examines activities that have gone from occurring in reality to taking place in the online world such as cyberbullying, online social networking, and online dating. The publication also highlights the negative effects of spending a lot of time online such as mental health issues, internet addiction, and body image control. This book is a vital resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, clinicians, social workers, medical administrators, academicians, educators, and graduate-level students.

This book explores how digital communication generates new intimacies and meanings of friendship in a networked society, developing a theory of mediated intimacies to explain how social media contributes to dramatic changes in our ideas about personal relationships, through themes of self, youth, families, digital dating and online social capital.

Adolescents and young adults are the main users of social media. This has sparked interest among researchers regarding the effects of social media on normative development. There exists a need for an edited collection that will provide readers with both breadth and depth on the impacts of social media on normative development and social media as an amplifier of positive and negative behaviors. The Psychology and Dynamics Behind Social Media Interactions is an essential reference book that focuses on current social media research and provides insight into the benefits and detriments of social media through the lens of psychological theories. It enhances the understanding of current research regarding the antecedents to social media use and problematic use, effects of use for identity formation, mental and physical health, and relationships (friendships and romantic and family relationships) in addition to implications for education and support groups. Intended to aid in collaborative research opportunities, this book is ideal for clinicians, educators, researchers, councilors, psychologists, and social workers.

As the digital world assumes an ever-increasing role in the daily lives of the public, opportunities to engage in crimes increase as well. The prevention of cyber aggression is an ongoing challenge due to its multifaceted nature and the difficulties in realizing effective interventions. The consequences of cyber aggression can range from emotional and psychological distress to death by suicide or homicide. Enduring prevention programs need to be defined and take into consideration that the digital revolution changes the way and the meaning of interpersonal relationships. Developing Safer Online Environments for Children: Tools and Policies for Combatting Cyber Aggression explores the effects of cyberbullying and cyberstalking on children and examines solutions that can identify and prevent online harassment through both policy and legislation reform and technological tools. Highlighting a range of topics such as cyberbullying, fake profile identification, and victimization, this publication is an ideal reference source for policymakers, educators, principals, school counsellors, therapists, government officials, politicians, lawmakers, academicians, administrators, and researchers.

This book examines how intimate relationships are built, negotiated and maintained through social media. The study takes a cross-platform approach, analysing three social media platforms of different genres – Badoo, Couchsurfing and Facebook – and exploring two interactive forces that shape the way people communicate through social media: the platforms’ architecture and policies, and actual practises of use. Combining analysis of the political economy of social media with users’ perspectives of their own practises – as well as exploring the tensions between the two – the book provides a detailed picture of intimacy as a complex structure of continuity and change.

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, there is a strong sense of untapped potential and unfulfilled promises. People today possess an unprecedented amount of power through their technological gadgets but often remain unaware of how to wield it effectively. This lack of understanding and agency leads to a plethora of societal problems, from passive consumerism to environmental degradation, fostering a sense of helplessness. Considerations of Cyber Behavior and Mass Technology in Modern Society offer a comprehensive solution to this pressing issue. It is a scholarly beacon, guiding academic scholars and critical thinkers toward a profound reassessment of our relationship with technology and society. By delving into the intricate web of topics such as active citizenship, global information production, and the coexistence of consumer technology and freedom, our book presents an opportunity to explore the root causes of our modern-day challenges.

Today's new technologies are dramatically changing the way we work, play and live. Our Virtual World: The Transformation of Work, Play and Life via Technology investigates the ubiquity of the virtual environment and our evolving interactions in this changed context.