Cyberpsychology. Juan Moisés De La Serna

less extensive use of new developments.

      While in many universities’ no such program exists, it is undeniable the necessity to analyze and comprehend human behavior when we use technology, either for leisure or for work.

      Cyberpsychology therefore incorporates the technological element as the central axis of its analysis, without losing site that the person is the one interacting one way or another. Describe and comprehend the habits, use and misuse of that technology have been the object of study of Cyberpsychology.

      We have to take into account that, with neurosciences, they are the psychology branches that change the most, since both of them allow to offer a better understanding as instruments of evaluation and observations are each time much keener and enable details that beforehand were indispensable.

      A lot has been said about the negative effects Internet use has in maintaining healthy social relationships, but is it like this on all cases?

      The technological mediums as a computer or smartphones allow friends, acquaintances and old school buddies to be connected thanks to digital applications such as Facebook, in this world every day more globalized.

      But now it has been considered that an excessive use of one’s hours with this or any other leisure driven activities such as watching television or listening to music encourages social isolation and it would favor the apparition of depression.

      Other studies considered that the consequences of a depressed state have a previous origin that have much more to do then just isolating one’s self and avoiding human contact with what a computer screen or a cellphone gives you.

      Something that might seem contradictory with new results and with the idea that communication mediums such as the Internet is that allows more connections and not isolation, then, how can someone isolate themselves from the world being connected via social networks with so much people on the other side of the screen? To resolve this question a study has been carried out by the New England University (Australia) whose results have been published on the scientific magazine Open Journal of Depression.

      In it were forty-one teenagers evaluated on two separate occasions with a year separation where we implemented various measures to examine both mood and use of social networks through the Internet where they had in mind not just the time invested but also the quality of their communication.

      The results in spite of supporting a depressed state of mind and massive use of communication mediums through the Internet, established that this type of relationship is a positive type. That said, people will find necessary support with the ones they interact to overcome their negative personal situations, converting so in a tool of depression prevention.

      The difference with the previous results can be that in this study they do not take to account just the number of daily hours invested on massive communication, it has been proven to be related with people that have depression tendencies and even so this can be determined to an addiction problem to new technology, but also the quality of it has been evaluated, that is to say, where interaction happens with significant persons that help serve the model for example, or to simply know how to listen and support when it is needed, it is enough to help people to not fall into depression.

      Despite the small number of study participants, the conclusions seem to explain the contradictory of the previous results by introducing a new factor not taken into account so far, the quality of communication, this being the determinant for the technology-mental health relationship to be positive or not.

      Below is a series of research on what is currently being studied in this area and what conclusions have been drawn so far. For this, the results are presented grouped according to their theme and study, the virtual world with its avatars and the most used social networks, such as Facebook or Twitter; and the specific software for neurorehabilitation.

      There are many demands that this young branch of psychology receives, in order to answer the questions that health professionals and even parents raise, such as, for example, what risks does technology entail in the youngest?

CHAPTER 2. THE RISKS OF THE INTERNET

      One of the greatest concerns of parents is regarding the correct handling of new technologies by minors. Everyone can understand that technology offers great benefits, especially in the workplace, and even at home. Houses can have a washing machines, microwaves, electric cookers, all of the important devices and technologies that save up time that previously would take up a good part of the day.

      On the other hand, in the house there are other devices oriented almost exclusively to leisure, for example, television, radio or computers. Removing the educational and learning process that can be used of them, for example, follow a language course through CDs, watch TV documentaries or prepare homework with the computer. Apart from that, parents always have doubts about the consequences in children of these leisure-oriented devices.

      Although pediatricians, child psychologists and educators already said it, and this was corroborated by some research in this regard of the Public Health England report, leaves no doubt about the harmful influence of television on children’s health.

      The report includes a study carried out in which forty-two thousand English minors participated, aged between 8 and 15 years, analyzing the harmful consequences of excessive hours in front of a television, whose conclusions leave no doubt, informing that those who spend more time are those who obtain a greater deficiency in academic results obtained by these, and attributes a direct relationship to the misuse of hours in front of the television with low self-esteem and with consequences of the their psyche like depression and anxiety.

      Despite the benefits that can be attributed by providing information and entertainment, when the time spent on television exceeds four hours a day, there will also be a withdrawal in other activities, whether academic or recreational, thereby facilitating the isolation of your social media.

      While it is true, that the report presented does not establish a cause-effect relationship leaving open to new research, discovering how this influence occurs, being among the possible explanations that, the longer one stays in front of a TV, the less time they will dedicate to social interaction with peers.

      As time is limited, for both children and adults, when we spend a good part of the day watching television programs, we are necessarily neglecting other activities that we could develop.

      In childhood, social relationships are important, since they serve to configure people, while developing communication skills and their identity is formed through comparison with others and belonging to a group of peers.

      The cultivation of friendship is a fundamental activity at this stage of life, which requires a lot of time and is reduced to the extent that this time is devoted to watching television even if it is to watch educational programs.

      The isolation and lack of establishment of relationships of fellowship and friendship with all the experiences that this entails, both positive and negative could be behind why these children have lower levels of self-esteem, since they are not developing interaction skills that others at their age already manage them perfectly.

      Perhaps the most worrying part of this report is that a relationship has been observed between time in front of television and certain psychological pathologies. While it is true, that certain behaviors such as sedentary lifestyle and poor diet had previously been linked to health problems such as obesity, and in some cases, the onset of early diabetes. Related that in principle can affect anyone regardless of their age, but it is especially worrying when it occurs to minors.

      Major Depression or Anxiety Disorders are the most serious consequences on the child’s psychological health that are reported in this study, by spending too much time isolated in front of the television or computer screen.

      With what is going to be configuring a clinical picture of consequences, both physical and psychological around the child that will drag during adulthood, if he/she or his/her parents do not put the necessary means to overcome this situation.

      Once the conclusions of the report presented by Public Health England are known, it is only necessary to