A Psychoanalytic Perspective of Internet Abuse

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss Internet abuse from a psychoanalytic perspective. Internet abuse refers to the misuse of the Internet that leads to deterioration of both public and individual welfares. While past research has treated most computer abuse as the result of conscious decisions, the school of psychoanalysis provides insight into how the unconscious mind may influence one’s abusive conduct. Therefore, I argue that effective resolution of Internet abuse requires the knowledge of the unconscious mind. Although modern knowledge of this domain is still limited, I believe that this orientation is beneficiary to the construction of social systems embedding the Internet and their application to our work.