We live our lives through screens, but what does this actually do to our minds, relationships, and sense of self?
This course dives into the psychology of digital life, exploring how technology shapes who we are from childhood to adulthood. You’ll examine psychological theories and cutting-edge research about the cognitive, emotional, and socio-cultural implications of constant connectivity, social media, and rapid AI development. By the end of the semester, you’ll gain tools to critically understand and navigate our increasingly digital world.
If you are interested in gaining more hands-on lab experience, consider enrolling in the Psychology of Digital Life Lab.
Course note
This course was originally called Cyberpsychology. Starting in Spring 2027, the course title will be 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.
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.
Xinyu Lai
B.Sc, Applied Psychology, Beijing Sport University, 2018 M.Sc., Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Aarhus University, 2021 PhD Cand. in Cognitive Systems, Dept. of Applied Math & Comp. Sci, Technical University of Denmark, 2022. PhD fellow, Cognitive Systems, Dept. of Applied Math & Comp. Sci, Technical University of Denmark, 2022-present. With DIS since 2025.
Long Study Tour
About this tour
This Study Tour offers students the opportunity to explore how digital technologies are transforming human behavior, work, learning, and society. Through visits to leading research laboratories, innovation hubs, coworking spaces, and cultural institutions in Lisbon, students will gain first-hand insight into the psychological impact of digital technologies and their real-world applications.
Learning outcomes
Explore the latest research in the effects of digital technologies (SM platforms, AI, VR, etc.) on human cognition, behavior and experience as well as its social and cultural impacts
Dive into the digital nomad culture and understand how physical and digital environments shape interaction, collaboration, and wellbeing in modern work and social contexts;
Reflect critically on the opportunities and risks that digital technologies present for individuals, organizations, and society today and in the future.
Possible activities
Visit to the iNOVA Media Lab at NOVA University Lisbon to learn about human–computer interaction, virtual reality, and media psychology, with particular interest in how people perceive, respond to and behave in mediated environments.
Visit to the Digital & Sustainable Innovation Lab (DSIL) at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics to learn about how digital technologies, such as data analytics, platforms, and AI, can support sustainable innovation, behavioral change, and more responsible decision-making in businesses and public systems.
Visit to a digital nomad space such as Outsite, a co-living and remote work organization designed for digital nomads and location-independent professionals, to learn how co-living models are structured to reduce isolation, foster community, and enable sustained remote work across different locations.
Visit a new media museum called the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) to explore the relationship between digital culture, aesthetics, and society, and gain insight into how artistic practices can help us reflect on the psychological and cultural impact of digital technologies
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
