The Psychology of Evolving Technology
How Social Media, Influencer Culture and New Technologies are Altering Society
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Technology is advancing at such an incredible speed that it is hard to keep track of all its progress. This book reviews many technological developments that are impacting our world as adults and influencing on our children. In many respects, the computers, smartphones, and smart devices with texting capabilities, social media, and video apps on them have transformed our world and made it feel smaller, more controllable, and much easier to manage. In less than a few seconds, we can communicate with others down the street or across the world. It is brilliant! Or is it? I mean, the consequences of these experiences could hurt us mightily. Even as adults we are constantly barraged on our phone with robocalls or people trying to scam us for money. Some pictures and videos are edited to make us believe events happened that did not occur. If we can be mislead as adults, how can we not worry about our children? Children especially can be tricked into scams, cyber-bullying, and sharing explicit photos or sexting. Not to mention, gadgets can lead to addiction to the smart device, lack of concentration, and obesity. Parents are forced to make vital decisions for their children every day about which technology devices is age-appropriate and important for our children’s successful growth in the areas of motor skills, mental capacity, and social development.
This book is a framework to start a conversation about this imperative and fundamental topic; it is by no means a scientific study or definitive explanation of how parents, teachers, mentors, or friends should make decisions. Each child is unique, and each child has an individual cognitive and social learning growth process. Therefore, each child’s life takes a different and amazing journey of its own.
One thing is for certain: these technological advances are here to stay, and they are only going to get more advanced. Our world is dependent and thrives on progress. These technological advances rely on and are shaped by artificial intelligence. Data science uses machine learning algorithms and transforms them into applications for images, videos, and audio content. It can recognize faces and decipher writing biases, sentiments, and feelings. These advances are propelling our world forward in ways we could not have imagined years ago. While it has become much easier to communicate with others around the world, it has disrupted a simpler life, when smart devices were not constantly at our sides with their its apps and notifications.
Colleges and universities have programs to advance these applied analytical tools and skills to be useful and usable, and new technological advances are happening fast, especially with smart glasses. Now and for the foreseeable future it is time to embrace these robotic and machine learning advances and discover how they can benefit our lives and how we can learn to control their detrimental forces so that our moral character is not weakened or destabilized. In fact, we need to learn how they can strengthen our moral character and produce a more livable and peaceful world.
This book will discuss the theories of Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development stages, along with the rapid advancements of computers, email, texting, video games, social media, and smart technologies that now utilize artificial intelligence. We’ll talk about how far technology has advanced, yet the maturation process of humans is still evolving through the same stages and growth process, for the most part, as our ancestors. This will be shown by using the age-appropriate milestones criteria of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), MedlinePlus: U.S. National Library of Medicine (Medline), and American Psychological Association (APA) factsheets.
This Book’s Organization
Let us begin a whirlwind journey through the history of technological changes with the intent to show these awe-inspiring innovations that have changed the world and also have created many hardships. Some of these advances have made life fun such as video games, yet the world is more weary of cybercrime activities that seek your private information.
Part I
The first part of this book discusses the scientific advances in the context of the history of computers and personal computers, word processors, Wi-Fi, email, and texting. It discusses the history of smart devices, video games, and videoconferencing.
Specifically, Chapter 1 reviews the history of computers and smart phones, including the invention of the iPhone, Samsung’s smart TV and phone, and Google’s Android. It also review the history of video games and video communication and conferencing.
Chapter 2 reviews the most popular search engines, such as Google. The Internet and search engines have connected the world yet have exposed our families and livelihood to blackmail and the Dark Web. We are able to critique a restaurant or salon in one click, but if we click the wrong button on our computer, we might lose access to our data because someone on the Web decides to hold it for ransom. When Wi-Fi was developed, it connected the world in ways that were unimaginable before. This chapter will explore how and why email was invented for the military and academia.
Chapter 3 discusses the Apple, Samsung, and Google smartphones. It also goes into the history of video games and how an individual can now play games with millions of other people online all over the globe. Chapter 3 also talks about the history of video conferencing. In addition, the chapter covers how we have the ability to make and edit videos on the fly.
Part II
Part II discusses the history of social media. Each and every person who owns a smart device can connect to multiple media apps to relay their thoughts in an instant.
Specifically, Chapter 4 reviews the beginning of social media and demonstrates its impact. Social media’s appearance opened communication with our neighbors, lost relatives, and friends and strangers from places around the world.
Chapter 5 discusses the advent of social media on smartphones and tablets. In fact, social media spread quickly after the creation of the smart device. Once social media was put on the smart device, it brought people closer together. People with the same views and interests are able to hang out together virtually and share videos and other media. This has also created a polarizing effect. Cyber-bullying can occur from our peers and strangers who do not hold the same views as ours or do not and agree with our online viewpoint. Different types of social media will be discussed such as Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok. Chapter 5 also discusses influencers.
Part III
This part will cover age-appropriate developmental theories, Medline and CDC developmental milestones, and APA factsheets guidelines. It will focus on psychologists Jean Piaget and Erik Erickson and show how their developmental theories have more stages than the behaviors described for the CDC, Medline, and APA.
Specifically, Chapters 6 and 7 examine Jean Piaget’s and Erik Erikson’s background and stages of development. Piaget developed four cognitive developmental stages, and Erik Erikson developed eight psychosocial stages of development.
In Chapter 8, the book will explore the CDC and Medline milestones and the APA factsheets and how they affect development.
Part IV
This part of this book will present a framework for using psychological theories, as well as best practices, to teach children computer and smartphone skills, as well as how to use social media wisely.
Specifically, Chapter 9 reviews an article by Tom’s Hardware, American Psychiatric Association, American Pediatric Association, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard University on how to work with your children to teach them best practices for computer learning.
Chapter 10 discusses what behavioral and emotional problems have become commonplace today because of technology advances.
Chapter 11 concludes the book with ways you can be inspired by these industrious and awesome innovations yet wary and ready and able to take on the dark side of them.
has a master’s degree in mathematics from the Courant Institute at New York University, a master’s degree in statistics from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in developmental psychology from Yeshiva University. She also has an advanced certification in finance from Fordham University. Rhoda has worked in the finance world in market risk for more than 10 years as a risk analyst. Rhoda has also worked as a researcher at Harvard University, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Emblem Health (HIP).
Rhoda Okunev currently is an Associate at the Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies in the Applied Analytics Department. She also teaches at Nova Southeastern University in the Math Department. Rhoda is an avid pickleball player.
, PhD, is a licensed developmental psychologist and director of clinical innovation at Makor Care and Services Network (formerly Women’s League Community Residences), a life-span social services organization meeting the needs of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He is also an adjunct associate professor at Yeshiva College and the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University, as well as the founder and director of the Makor College Experience Program, a partnership program of Makor and YU providing the YU Experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the Wilf Campus. In addition to his Makor and YU activities, Dr. Glicksman serves as the consultant psychologist for the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence (SCHI) in Lakewood, New Jersey, and has a private practice in Teaneck, New Jersey. Dr. Glicksman has presented on a variety of developmental topics at numerous professional conferences and parent meetings, and his research has been published in both national and international scientific journals and periodicals.