4 Things In Modern Life That Make Psychology A Profession For The Future
In the last decades, Human beings and the society we have built have evolved in a very notable way and with the advancement of new technologies, our way of relating to the environment is very different from that of previous generations.
Just 40 years ago, no one could imagine the impact that social networks would have on our lives today, nor how a device called “telephone” would evolve, since mobile devices have become our inseparable companions.
The values of our society have changed, and with it our way of thinking But the changes have not always been for the better, and modern society can bring with it different disorders that were not previously a reason for consultation in psychopathology clinics… unless cultural changes and new ways of managing these novel situations are introduced.
But, What facts of modern life make psychology a profession for the future?
These four facts make the figure of the psychologist in the area of health essential in the present and in the days to come:
1. The obsession with the digital image
New technologies have burst into our lives with such force that it is almost impossible to live apart from this new reality. Body image disorders are not something new, and in fact they are a fairly common phenomenon in our society. Our culture rewards those individuals with a body image that borders on perfection, something that leads many people to become obsessed with their body
Excessive concern about appearance and the image we give turns certain individuals into tremendously unhappy people. Access to new technologies and the possibility of being connected all day to social networks causes many problems for people prone to this type of behavior.
We all know someone who spends hours and hours taking photographs and then sharing them on their Facebook or Instagram profile, leading to obsessive behaviors.
In fact, the selfie phenomenon It has become a characteristic fact of modern society. In this sense, the psychiatrist dr David Veale, from the Maudsley Hospital in London, comments in an interview with the British newspaper Sunday Mirror: “Out of every three patients who come to my office for Body Dysmorphic Disorder are obsessed with selfies.” It could be said that access to new information technologies increases this phenomenon. Now, it is important to understand that the main problem is not new technologies, but rather their pathological use.
Recommended article: “Beware of selfies: they can be a symptom of a mental disorder”
2. Stress and Technostress
Stress is not something new either, but nowadays it has become a very serious problem. It is common for people to consult psychologists suffering from the stress they suffer in their lives
In fact, in the work environment, chronic stress or burnout causes serious psychological problems. Stress is a complex phenomenon in which job variables, an individual’s expectations and their ability to cope with complex situations come into play.
Related article: “10 essential tips to reduce stress”
But recently, some experts say a new form of stress is affecting many individuals. The cause? The emergence of technology into our lives in the form of computers, the Internet, smartphones, tablets… what is known as technostress.
For the psychologist Marisa Salanova, professor at the Jaume I University of Castellón, technostress is “a negative psychological state that is associated with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) or with the threat of their use in the future. The perception of a mismatch between the demands and resources related to the use of ICT causes this phenomenon that is characterized by a high level of psychophysiological activation, discomfort, anxiety, fatigue and the development of negative attitudes towards ICT.” And the fact The fact that the use of smartphones and laptops causes the boundaries between private life and work life to blur can also cause problems.
To learn more about technostress, you can visit our article: “Technostress: the new psychopathology of the digital age”
3. The use of smartphones
And of course, when we talk about the disorders and syndromes associated with the use of new technologies, it is inevitable to talk about the nomophobia. For just over a decade, mobile phones have accompanied us everywhere, they are with us wherever we go. Since the appearance of smartphones we have access to the internet 24 hours a day, and Faced with this reality, it becomes almost impossible to disconnect from the digital world for a single moment
Being continually connected may not be all good, and in the long run, for some people, disconnection can have serious psychological consequences, making them anxious, very upset, and even feeling lost in this world dependent on new technologies. Psychologists can reeducate these people in the use of new technologies so that they can overcome their mobile phone addiction.
Recommended article: “Nomophobia: the growing addiction to mobile phones”
4. New ways of relating
In the modern world, our way of relating has changed a lot compared to previous generations. We tend to be connected to social networks continuously, and we interact with our acquaintances daily. Being continuously connected to the network has caused a new phenomenon called FOMO syndrome (fear of missing out) or feeling of missing something. This syndrome has been recognized by psychologists as a disorder caused by the advancement of technology and the number of options that are presented to us today
People with FOMO feel that their life is much less interesting than that of their acquaintances, which affects their self-esteem and emotional health. FOMO can also cause depression or anxiety. As in the previous cases, education is basic to prevent this type of pathologies associated with the use of new technologies, and psychologists can help people correct the negative thoughts characteristic of this phenomenon.
Related article: “FOMO syndrome: feeling that other people’s lives are more interesting”
