A Brief History of (Social) Cyberspace

Abstract

Recent developments in Internet technology offer new possibilities for individuals to communicate, consequently changing common usage patterns of the World Wide Web. With the increase in popularity of so-called social media, a growing body of research is exploring how these technologies address human needs, how individuals use social media, and which psychological and interpersonal effects arise from usage. While focusing on the most prevalent forms of social media such as social networking sites, blogs and micro-blogs, this chapter describes the inherently social as well as emotional aspects of the new applications, and summarizes current scientific knowledge in this regard against the background of social psychological and media psychological findings. It also discusses implications for emotional experiences during social media usage, and emotions as prerequisites for as well as effects of Internet use.