About this Research Topic
Emerging technologies and products such as digital health technology, computing platforms, wearable devices, smartphone sensors and electronic gadgets have the potential to transform and empower society while simultaneously presenting unprecedented challenges in our life. Some like electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are for entertainment, some like online conference platforms are for convenience and some like social media have become a life necessity. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether the use of physical and virtual digital technology products can do harm to mental health. Some evidence-based research shows that frequent use of social media may cause depression and anxiety, and derived behavioral phenomena like cyberbullying and game addiction, which negatively affect people’s lives. Other scholars think digital technology products could provide insights into timely, personalized, engaging and accessible intervention, promotion and improvement of mental health. Given the ubiquity of digital devices and their complex and subtle associations with mental health, more research is needed to bring benefits to both research and daily life practices.
The exploration of the relationship between emerging technologies and products and mental health is promising for responding to, preventing, and addressing mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as the prevention and intervention of some risky behaviors including substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal crises. This research topic aims at showcasing whether the use of digital products affects mental health, how this can happen and the differences in subpopulations including sex, age, ethnicity, region and religion. In particular, in this research topic, we will pay attention to the interaction of traditional mental health issues and new technologies, to identify new avenues for intervention and novel mental health risks arising from the ubiquitous role of digital and electronic devices in modern social life.
We welcome Original Research, Systematic Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Reports, Perspectives, and Commentary articles that can contribute to expanding the knowledge pool on, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- The relationship between various emerging technologies and products and mental health
- How social media is associated with mental well-being in different cultural contexts
- How cyberbullying and game addiction affect mental health and what preventive measures can be taken
- What we can do to take advantage of digital devices and use them to make progress towards public mental health
The exploration of the relationship between emerging technologies and products and mental health is promising for responding to, preventing, and addressing mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as the prevention and intervention of some risky behaviors including substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal crises. This research topic aims at showcasing whether the use of digital products affects mental health, how this can happen and the differences in subpopulations including sex, age, ethnicity, region and religion. In particular, in this research topic, we will pay attention to the interaction of traditional mental health issues and new technologies, to identify new avenues for intervention and novel mental health risks arising from the ubiquitous role of digital and electronic devices in modern social life.
We welcome Original Research, Systematic Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Reports, Perspectives, and Commentary articles that can contribute to expanding the knowledge pool on, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- The relationship between various emerging technologies and products and mental health
- How social media is associated with mental well-being in different cultural contexts
- How cyberbullying and game addiction affect mental health and what preventive measures can be taken
- What we can do to take advantage of digital devices and use them to make progress towards public mental health
Keywords: Cyberbullying, Game addiction, Mental health, Well-being, Artificial intelligence technology, Digital products, Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), Social media
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
