Course Information

About this course

This course addresses the productive and problematic use and impact of digital technologies across the lifespan, exploring cognitive, emotional, or socio-cultural perspectives. Topics include: implications of being a digital native or digital immigrant, the effects of techno stress, social media and self-esteem, cyberbullying, and cybertherapy. Where relevant, cultural implications are explored from a Scandinavian perspective.

Syllabus

Spring 2026

This is the most recent syllabus for this course

Go to syllabus

Prerequisites

One psychology course at university level.

Recommended lab

If you are interested in gaining more hands-on lab experience, consider enrolling in the Cyberpsychology Lab (Fall 2026 only) or Psychology of Digital Life Lab (Spring 2027 and onwards) alongside this course.

Course note

Starting in Spring 2027, this course will be called Psychology of Digital Life.

Travel on Study Tour

You only take one Core Course per semester, and each Core Course includes two Study Tours: one Short Study Tour to a nearby destination for three days, and one Long Study Tour to another European country for six days.

Led by your faculty, Study Tours take you into real-world settings where you will apply what you’ve learned outside the classroom.

Check out the Study Tours for this course
Students sitting on the floor in a modern building, engaging in a group activity with papers and notebooks scattered around.

Faculty

Veronika Leonova

M.A. in Clinical Psychology (Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2011). Jungian Analytical Psychotherapy education (Moscow Association for Analytical Psychology, 2012). Worked as a clinical psychologist in various institutions and taught as an external lecturer at “The Higher School of Psychology” in Psychoanalysis and Developmental Psychology. In Denmark since 2015. I work with children, adolescents and adults, conducting individual and group therapy in private practice and as a volunteer in NEFOS. You can find out more on my website: psyhelp.dk. With DIS since 2017.

Long Study Tour

About this tour

Alongside Copenhagen, Amsterdam is one of the most digitalized cities in the EU. On this Study Tour we will visit companies, practitioners, and organizations working with various aspects of modern technology to identify and analyze the cognitive, emotional, and social impacts of technological development on a national, organizational, and individual level.

Learning outcomes

  • Learn about new developments in the field of cyberpsychology within a European context
  • Explore and reflect on the use of advanced digital technology in Amsterdam regarding different aspects of life: workplace and work-life balance, relationships, social norms, etc.
  • Reflect on and experiment with your own use of technology and the impact it has on your life

Possible activities

  • Experience full body free roam VR gaming
  • Meet with researchers looking into psychological effects of recent tech developments
  • Experience digital withdrawal – how does it feel to be without your devices in a new place?

Short Study Tour

Denmark

About this tour

During the short Study Tour, you will have the opportunity to meet with Danish organizations, practitioners and researchers to gain insight into the opportunities and challenges, digital technology presents in Denmark. The academic visits will give you a forum to explore, analyze, and discuss the psychological implications that technology has on human behavior and society.

Learning outcomes

  • Explore and reflect on the use of digital technology in Denmark in different aspects of life (workplace, relations, culture, etc.)
  • Analyze how cyberpsychology can be applied in practice in various settings
  • Reflect on your own use and dependence on technology and the practical, psychological, and social impact it has

Possible activities

  • Meet with local researchers to understand how social relations have changed in the technological era (e.g. exploring “the digital family”, gamification, etc.)
  • Visit local organizations to explore the negative effects of digital technology like cyberbullying, identity theft and revenge porn
  • Interact with therapists working with online therapy to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method