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4 things in modern life that make psychology a future profession

4 things in modern life that make psychology a future profession

March 23, 2024

In the last decades, human beings and the society that we have built has evolved in a very remarkable 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 an apparatus called "telephone" would evolve, since mobile devices have become our inseparable companions.

The values ​​of our society have changed, and with that our way of thinking . But changes have not always been for the better, and modern society can bring with it different disorders that were not previously the subject of consultation in psychopathology clinics ... unless cultural changes and new ways of managing these novel situations are introduced.


Disorders associated with modern society

But, What facts of modern life make psychology a profession of 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 digital image

New technologies have burst into our lives with such force that it is almost impossible to live outside this new reality. Disorders of the body image are not new, and in fact they form a quite frequent 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 .


The excessive concern for appearance and for the image we give makes certain individuals extremely unhappy people. Access to new technologies and the possibility of being connected all day to social networks causes many problems in people prone to this type of behavior.

We all know someone who spends hours and hours taking photographs and then share them to your Facebook or Instagram profile, becoming obsessive.

In fact, the selfie phenomenon It has become a characteristic feature of modern society. In this sense, the psychiatrist Dr David Veale , from Maudsley Hospital in London, comments in an interview with the British newspaper Sunday Mirror: "Of every three patients who come to my office for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, they 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 the new technologies, but the pathological use of them.


Recommended article: "Alert with selfies: they can be a symptom of a mental disorder"

2. Stress and Tecnosestress

Stress is not something new either, but nowadays it has become a very serious problem. It is frequent that people go to the consultation of psychologists suffering from the stress they suffer in their lives .

In fact, in the workplace, chronic stress or burnout causes serious psychological problems. Stress is a complex phenomenon in which variables of the workplace, the expectations of an individual and their ability to cope with complex situations come into play.

Related article: "10 essential tips to reduce stress"

But, recently, some experts claim that a new form of stress is affecting many individuals. The cause? The irruption in our lives of technology in the form of computers, internet, smartphones tablets ... what is known as techno-stress.

For the psychologist Marisa Salanova , a professor at the Jaume I University of Castellón, techno-stress is "a negative psychological state that is associated with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) or with the threat of its use in the future. The perception of a mismatch between the demands and resources related to the use of ICTs causes this phenomenon that is characterized by a high level of psychophysiological activation, malaise, anxiety, fatigue and the development of negative attitudes towards ICT. "And the fact The fact that the use of smartphones and laptops makes the limits between private life and working life disappear can also cause problems.

To learn more about techno-stress, you can visit our article: "Tecnostros: the new psychopathology of the digital era"

3. The use of smartphones

And of course, when we talk about disorders and syndromes associated with the use of new technologies, it is inevitable to talk about the nomophobia. For a little more than a decade, mobile phones have accompanied us anywhere, 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 a single moment from the digital world .

Being continuously connected may not be entirely good, and in the long run, for some people, the disconnection can have serious psychological consequences, causing them to be anxious, with great discomfort, and even feel lost in this world dependent on new technologies. Psychologists can reeducate these people in the use of new technologies to overcome their addiction to the mobile phone.

Recommended article: "Nomophobia: the growing addiction to mobile phone"

4. The new ways of relating

In the modern world, our way of relating has changed a lot compared to previous generations. We are always connected to social networks continuously, and we interact with our acquaintances on a daily basis. Being continuously connected to the network has triggered a new phenomenon called FOMO syndrome (fear of missing out) or sensation of missing something. This syndrome has been recognized by psychologists as a disruption 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 their emotional health. The FOMO, in addition, can produce 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 to correct the negative thoughts characteristic of this phenomenon.

Related article: "FOMO syndrome: feeling that the life of others is more interesting"

19 Psychological Tips That Will Change Your Life (March 2024).


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