THE GOOD: HUMAN INTERACTION
“The use of Information Technology (or IT) has made human interaction more accessible to many people and this provides a good source of social support, which has a beneficial influence on one’s psychological and physiological health. People who are bedridden have other ‘inconveniences’ that hinder them from leaving their homes, or shun face-to-face interpersonal interactions can access online support groups.”
THE BAD: STRESSED OUT
“However, less research has been done on the negative consequences of IT use on interpersonal interactions. Most research has focused on the negative consequences of IT use on the user. For example, technology is also a source of stress; a survey of 257 personnel employed in the IT industry in Singapore found that system maintenance was one of the sources of work stress. Long term use of IT has also found to be associated with psychosomatic disorders. Due to the sedentary nature of computer usage, it has also been found to be positively related to percentage body fat among children. Hence, there are both positive and negative effects for the use of technology.”
THE UGLY: ANONYMITY ONLINE
“Several studies have consistently found that anonymity increases the likelihood of hostile acts or aggression. The reason for this is likely to be, with increased anonymity, there is decreased accountability (that is, they’re less likely to be “caught” and “punished”). Whether this is due to bringing out the worst in people is more of a philosophical question than a psychological one.”
