Conclusion

Abstract

Our aim in writing this book was to review what we know about the opportunities and challenges to mental health we all face in a world that requires us to be increasingly engaged with digital technology. Invariably there will be areas of enquiry that we have omitted (sometimes deliberately) because there is a wealth of evidence published elsewhere, or because there remains a dearth of evidence supporting any stance — positive or negative — on the impact of a certain program or application on the way in which we interact with one another. This is not a technical book, but it is one that considers the evidence, as it is currently understood, on the ways in which technology impacts our everyday well-being. In addition to our discussion of the benefits of online therapies, social networking sites, and self-help sites, we have explored the ways in which technology can be used to cause harm. The dangers of being online, of trusting those we “meet” online and the pitfalls in providing those we have yet to meet with too much personal information, have been discussed with examples drawn from existing literature. Readers will note that some of the most popular applications or apps used by young people today are not specifically mentioned (e.g., Snapchat, Yik Yak, Kik, WhatsApp). We have taken as examples some of the more established platforms to examine the principles of online engagement, rather than critique the ever-growing bank of social networking sites and apps available to users.