Reading: Seeking therapy online

We examine the effects of online communication on our well-being, both negatively and positively. We begin by examining the alleged problem itself by reviewing the symptoms of online addiction. In the course of examining the effects of this phenomenon, we focus particular attention on human sexuality as a contributor to this life-altering behavior. However, we also want to acknowledge that although some people suffer detrimental effects because of their online affiliations, others can reap rewards. Thus we conclude our discussion with a look at the ways in which people benefit from online therapy sessions and support groups.

Off-campus webpages

Center for On-Line Addiction - "The Center for On-Line Addiction is the first training institute and behavioral healthcare firm to specialize in e-behavior and Internet-related conditions such as problem day trading, compulsive online shopping and gambling, cyberaffairs and infidelity online, cybersexual addiction, and the social dangers of computing on children."

Internet Paradox: A Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-Being? - 1998 Carnegie Mellon University HomeNet Project - "Greater use of the Internet was associated with declines in participants' communication with family members in the household, declines in the size of their social circle, and increases in their depression and loneliness."

Psychotherapy and Clinical Work in Cyberspace - Dr. John Suler - "Is it possible to do psychotherapy in cyberspace? That's an important question that I explore in the articles of this section of my online book The Psychology of Cyberspace."

Study of the Social Consequences of the Internet - "The Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society (SIQSS) presented the results of its study of the social consequences of the internet at a Press Conference on Wednesday, February 16, 2000. The study was conducted by InterSurvey, Inc. over the internet, but with a randomly selected sample of the population, not just current internet users."

Exercises

• Explore one kind of online therapy with ELIZA. What appear to be the "rules" of this simulation? Can you develop three instructions that guide the answers provided by this "artificial intelligence"?

• Visit Virtual Memorial Garden at http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/vmg/. Sure, it's a little gruesome - but to some, the idea of an online memorial is comforting. Is this memorial rhetorically effective? To decide, select a criterion for rhetorical effectiveness and measure this website against that standard.
  Other examples of virtual memorials are available at: http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Funerals/Online_Memorials/

• The NAMES Project Foundation: AIDS Memorial Quilt at http://www.aidsquilt.org/ is a sophisticated memorial to the many, many people who have suffered from the virus. From a rhetorical standpoint, the site mixes narrative, hypertext, graphics and plain text. Select examples from this site to explain whether this site evokes a sense of sacred space. Here, your definition of "sacred space" should be clearly stated. You may wish to start with the searchable quilt.

Note: These pages exist outside of San Jose State University servers and their content is not endorsed by the page maintainer or any other university entity. These pages have been selected because they may provide some guidance or insight into the issues discussed in class. Because one can never step into the same electronic river twice, the pages may or may not be available when you request them. If you have any questions or suggestions, please email Dr. Andrew Wood.