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Report 2

Cyber-Therapy, Driving Therapy, and Cyberspace Counter-Culture:

Interaction and Communication in the Information Age

Table of Contents
Introduction: What Cyberspace Offers
Cyber-Therapy: Mental Health On-Line
Driving Therapy: Surviving the Road
Cyberspace Counter-Culture: Breaking the Bounds of Society
Final Considerations: Internet Revolution

Introduction: What Cyberspace Offers

In my report, you will learn about cyber-therapy, driving therapy, and cyberspace counter culture.Cyber-therapy concerns counseling services being conducted through the computer by a qualified professional. I will define the concept of therapy, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cyber-therapy, introduce two licensed therapists who provide psychological services on-line, and explore the important issues of ethics, legality, relatedness, and confidentiality.Driving therapy will change the way you think and feel when getting behind the wheel. You will learn how your health habits, emotions, self-esteem, and behavior determine the way you conduct yourself on the road and the way you interact with other drivers. Finally, cyberspace counter-culture will certainly be a departure from societal norms. I will discuss how counter-culture groups like the radio underground, the computer underground, and the modern primitives exercise their freedom of expression in cyberspace. Learn about hackers, phreakers, and body manipulators to name just a few.
Researching these three topics for my report, I realized the true abundance of services and groups that cyberspace really has to offer. Technology has advanced my understanding of issues I was once ignorant of. Anyone who has access to the Internet has ample opportunities to find a mental health site or to learn about the most bizarre or fascinating counter-cultures. They can be found simply by clicking on links of your choice. In cyberspace, the availability of counseling and therapy services are plentiful. I learned that choosing a service depends on the type of problem or disorder one has. There were links for those suffering from eating disorders, stress, anxiety, and more. Therefore, accessibility to mental health professionals is easier than ever before. If one wants to explore untouched identities of the self, a counter-culture may entice you. Web sites with narratives and pictures are published by counter-culture groups to help "normal" people understand the groups' unique personal expressions in society.

Cyber-Therapy: Mental Health On-line

For what might be too embarrassing, or take too long, or be inefficient in a face-to-face encounter can now be asked and analyzed impersonally through the computer, and moreover be done before the client ever sees the therapist. This is Cyber-Therapy! It is a familiar term in the Information Age. With the advent of the computer, a certain guarantee of privacy is lost, for while many therapists might have probed for issues, the only place where the data was stored was in the mind of the therapist. The computer, on the other hand, has a retrievable, transmittable, and almost inexhaustible memory.
A consultation with a psychologist over the Internet is probably a good way to get an expert's opinion about an issue or general problem of concern. It is a bit more private than a "call-in" radio show or a chat session.
Therapy in itself covers an entire continuum of activities. Besides human interaction through the computer, one can also read self-help books, write a letter to Dr. Abby, talk to a friend or a plant, or, in a traditional context, meet with a therapist face-to face. The key element here is that some form of interaction is taking place. Now with the evolution of cyber-therapy, it is now conceivable that counseling and therapy can work without face-to-face contact.
Basically, you make therapy successful whether it is transacted through a computer or in person. Therapy experiences will vary because each person has different expectations, experiences, and personalities in the therapy relationship. Therapy is not outside your control. One needs to take responsibility for one's own mental health or else a therapist can not do very much. A client should take therapy seriously and contemplate about the session. Friends and family members can be involved with your therapy experiences by having you share your sessions and assignments. Your progress can be recorded in a journal. Patience is a virtue in therapy. Usually, the most productive time in therapy is when you feel depressed, frustrated, or helpless. Therapy may be helped by you appreciating yourself, thereby making your mental health more valuable. Reward yourself by doing something fun. Therapy can be hard work. It is an investment in your mental health. Therefore, it is important to find the "right" (cyber)-therapist for you!
Many psychologists and clients are already "Internet active!" Are they practicing "safe cyber-therapy?" Should it be done at all? Serious consideration about cyber-therapy is suggested before deciding if it is right for you. Let's explore the advantages and disadvantages of cyber-therapy, shall we?
Indeed, cyber-therapy is an additional gateway for the delivery of psychotherapeutic services. It is flexible. One can sit in the convenience of one's home to communicate with a therapist. Sessions missed because of sickness, weather, or commuting becomes a thing of the past. Cyber-therapy can reach populations that are rural, handicapped, home-bound, or hesitant of facing a therapist in an office. Most people feel more comfortable pouring their heart out on-line. First appointments are difficult, and an on-line "icebreaker" could be beneficial. Cyber-therapy is more than likely to provide quality services since licensed psychologists and social workers are qualified to develop proper guidelines, standards, and to provide evaluations in an already uncontrolled setting like the Internet. Since answers to people's questions concerning their problems are unique, cyber-therapy can be seen as being personalized.
The fact that therapy is conducted in cyberspace should not be as crucial a matter as the point of it not being simultaneous. According to Dr. James, a time-lag between counseling sessions could be beneficial though. It may be easier to compose a letter to pour out your problems besides just e-mailing all the time. Cyber-therapy is not any less effective or appropriate just because it is not immediate. Too much value may not be placed on face-to-face therapy because of distracters, possible sexual relationships between therapist and client, and because it does not necessarily work all the time. Cyber-therapy can provide indepth services since interactions usually occur more frequently.
Cyber-therapy has some disadvantages. Does the therapist know for certain who is on the other end of the computer? The therapist has more to lose in the transaction especially if the session becomes terminated by the client. The client may decide not to respond anymore and there goes the therapist's profits! The client may become agitated or irrational on-line. How can the therapist be effective in these instances! Most psychotherapy relies heavily on overt cues of the client. These cues being eye contact, movement, posture, vocal inflections, and emotional state. All this is totally lost in cyber-therapy interaction. "Good" psychotherapy with the cognitive/affective expressions of the client missing can not be accomplished effectively. Finally, a familiar, emotional therapist/client relationship can be made difficult because both may find it easier to hide behind another layer of "electronic defenses."
To reiterate, Cyber-therapy is basically on-line therapy provided by a qualified, licensed professional to a client, screen to screen, on the Internet. A clinical social worker named Tom Raymond is one such professional who offers instructional and interactive cyber-therapy. His therapy program is called Emotional Fitness On-line. He provides "an immediate, and specific response to your interpersonal problems." However, like most psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists who offer cyber-therapy, Tom Raymond also agrees that a cyber-therapy program is "not intended to replace 'hands on' psychotherapy."
His published resume reveals that he has acquired a vast amount of experience working in mental health clinics and hospitals. He has earned degrees and gained work experience in many states. His main focus of expertise concentrates on therapy for individuals, couples, and families, particularly with adolescents. He has earned many credentials, offered two presentations about psychotherapy, and has participated in activities promoting his therapy program, Emotional Fitness On-line. Tom Raymond doesn't seem to be "harmful" in providing therapeutic services only because he does display his resume. I would be more wary if I didn't see one personally. Indeed, he hasn't stayed in any particular job for longer than a few years, but I feel that he has gained more exposure to different lifestyles and problems because of the different places he has been to. His resume is quite impressive. The picture of his family on his Emotional Fitness On-line Home Page convinces me that he does has legitimacy in counseling families and couples just because he has experiences in those arenas of life.
Tom Raymond provides consultations for couples, individuals, and families. He doesn't charge for time spent reading his clients' questions. However, he does charge a price for the time it takes composing an answer. His prices are never greater than $60.00. Before Tom Raymond gives advice, he needs to acquire personal information from the client including age, gender, race, occupation, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and general state of health. He is interested in the nature of difficulties in the family, between a couple, or within the individual. He probes for family background information about parents or relatives experiencing emotional problems, using drugs or alcohol, their occupations, and their strengths and weaknesses. He wants to know if there has been any attempts by his clients to solve their own problems by seeking psychotherapy or self-therapy. Also, Tom Raymond has his clients participate in their own therapy by asking what they would want to know if they were treating themselves. More questions are asked as the therapist-client relationship continues. Feedback is very important for treatment.
But how does one know if Tom Raymond or some other cyber-therapist is a good match? It is important that you have in mind what you want the therapist to tell you. Chatting with friends and classmates, we decided on some suggestions of things a client should ask or say. First off, a person should inform a prospective therapist as to why one wants to be in therapy be it either for depression, eating disorders, stress, anxiety, or what have you! If one mentions suicide or schizophrenia, for example, a therapist would probably insist on seeking psycho-therapy with an actual psychiatrist in an office or may refer that person to a more qualified cyber-therapist. The point is that a client should find out if their problem fits in with that cyber-therapist's training or interests. One should ask how much the cyber-therapy will cost and the amount of time necessary for it. Also, it is important to pay special attention to how you feel. It is quite normal to feel a little nervous since sharing personal information is nerve-racking especially in cyberspace. You should question yourself about if you can trust this particular therapist on-line. Express a sample of your feelings to prospective therapists and read how they would deal with them.
Emotional Fitness On-line includes an advice column simply entitled, "Emotional Fitness." Tom Raymond uses the Participation Theory to answer his clients' problems. This theory is "a pragmatic, common sense approach to the problems that plague couples, families, and individuals. Clients are expected to utilize what they have learned from Tom Raymond's advice. He is direct, comical at times, and yet he seems sincere when offering advice. His style of language is quite casual almost as if he is your friend. He published a few examples of questions sent by clients, and, in turn, his advice. He offers prospective clients an opportunity to indulge in his expertise in order to decide if he is the therapist for them.

Emotional Fitness On-Line: Participation Theory

Two interesting and attractive ideas from the Participation Theory are the concepts of "Sanity" and "Reality":

Sanity

According to this theory, sanity "is a measurement of how well an individual gets along with others." This is a whole different concept from what we generally think of sanity to be. Meaning it is usually defined as the absence of mental illness. In order to participate successfully in work or in our relationships, we need sanity, or, rather, certain capabilities that will allow us to be productive. Disorders could hinder the potential to acquire and fulfill them. For example, people who have anxiety or depressive disorders or even schizophrenia. They would be considered "mentally ill" because their participation in the business of living is either minimal or non-existent. They might be unable to contribute their time, energy, skills, or feelings to another person or group since their disorder needs to be tended to. What is important to understand is that we learn how it is to be human by interacting with others. Who we are and how sane we are depends on our participatory experiences. People contribute their unique personalities, physiological reactions, beliefs, and knowledge when interacting with other humans.
Emotional difficulties should be looked at "as the absence of something good rather than the presence of something bad." This is a positive thought. It seems similar to the idea of seeing the cup half full rather than half empty. Therefore, the Participation Theory assumes sanity is not lost, but , rather, it is learned. People can only do what they know how to do. This comes with time and experience.
The Participation Theory says "getting along leads to love" not the other way around. However, most couples believe love leads to getting along. Intimacy is considered the most sophisticated form of sanity since it is an outcome of how people deal with one another. There are many significant adult relationships in people's lives that are intimate. There are relationships between friends, co-workers, dating partners, lovers, and spouses. In the aspect of "dealing" with one another, there should be interdependence between individuals, each of whom has a meaningful and enduring influence on the other. Also, there needs to be a presence of shared needs or interests that are met. This is what makes sanity and intimacy possible. Love is not enough which some couples find difficult to accept.

Reality

Being sane has essential components like intimacy, getting along, competence, and reality. All relate to our mental health and our relationships. I thought reality was an interesting and attractive idea. Reality is a difficult concept in the Participation Theory because it "asks us to consider the notion that our abilities are specific to a particular context." For instance, I can impersonate some movie stars pretty good when in front of my own family. However, if I was whisked onto a stage at Comedy Central, I think I would just make a fool of myself. I would be terribly nervous, and my impersonations would not be natural. Another example is that I might be in a good mood one day and agree to baby-sit for the bratty kid next-door. But, ask me on a bad day in which I bombed a test and shrunk my favorite blouse, well, let's just say, the kid is not my concern. Know what I mean?
Our abilities are not always consistent from day to day. They depend on the events and the interactions occurring in our lives. Saying the right thing on one day may be inappropriate on another day. We must learn to recognize the inner reality of our thoughts.

Emotional Fitness On-Line: The Advice Column

Two ideas that are not attractive are Tom Raymond publishing examples of his clients' problems and his casual linguistic style in his advice column.

As a therapist on-line, Tom Raymond's web site has an advice column. It includes a few problems his clients expressed in previous sessions. The unusual thing is that he publishes not one but many examples. I found this to be odd since other therapists I had found on-line included just one example or none at all. Even though the true identities of these particular clients are not known, I still was able to get more insight of this person just by their unique tag names like Inconsolable, The Iceman Cometh, Aimless Nihilist, and Minutia Masticator. Their anonymous names describe the problem at hand. In a way they have been exposed and impersonalized just by the fact that their particular problems were published. I feel that confidentiality has been compromised unless Tom Raymond asked permission from his clients to publish their problems.
Another idea that was not attractive was the casual linguistic style Tom Raymond used to comment on the problems. At times, I almost forgot he was a therapist since he seemed more like a friend. He has humor indeed, but I expected a more formal session. I don't necessarily mean a session using ambiguous psychological jargon, but one in which it is understood that an educated, professional mental health professional is "telling it straight". In other words, just the facts, please! He frequently used quirky phrases here and there when giving advice for some rather serious problems. For example, in response to a client who finds "it difficult to maintain a larger perspective" in her life, Tom Raymond replies at one point, "Denial is not just a river in Egypt." Get it?

NetPsych.Com

Another site that relates to cyber-therapy issues is called NetPsych.Com. While browsing the site, I learned of a licensed clinical psychologist by the name of Leonard G. Holmes, Ph.D. When people ask him if he provides therapy over the Internet, his answer is "no!" "Psychotherapy involves a face-to-face relationship between two people. Such conversations include nuances of verbal and non-verbal communication which are not possible on the Internet." I tend to agree with his opinion. The friends and classmates I have spoken to about the concept of "cyber-therapy" seem to not see such a big deal about offering therapeutic services through the Internet and calling it "cyber-therapy" because that is what it simply is! Some felt that cyber-therapy could be renamed "On-line" therapy, though.
Leonard G. Holmes says that his consultations are a way to receive information from a psychologist which might be helpful in life. "It is not a form of mental health treatment." Dr. Holmes just doesn't believe it is possible to do psychotherapy over the Internet. He has some interesting ideas about what mental health means to him. He feels that problems often begin as solutions and that how you think affects how you feel. "People do not develop problems in order to sabotage their own life," Dr. Holmes says. Problems develop as solutions to other problems. His example was how chemical dependency can develop as an attempt to relieve anxiety. But, the addiction (the so-called solution) becomes the new problem. Good therapy seeks to understand the way a symptom developed as a solution. "With this understanding, it is possible to let go of a symptom which has out-grown its usefulness."
People contribute to their emotional distress by setting themselves up for stress by having beliefs and expectations that get in the way. Developing extreme beliefs like "everyone should like me" will cause more distress versus developing moderate beliefs like "I like for people to like me, but I realize that not everyone will." Therefore, according to Dr. Holmes, developing more moderate forms of extreme beliefs is often an important part of therapy.

Cyber-Therapy Issues

From Dr. Holmes' psychological home page, I clicked on a link that directed me to some mental health resources. One such resource concerned cyber-therapy issues discussed by a proponent of cyber-therapy who thinks there is great potential for healing to occur on-line. Mental health professionals are approaching cyber-therapy responsibly and conscientiously because they want to be helpful, not harmful. Cyber-therapy is still a new frontier that needs to be further explored and experimented with in order to determine what is ethical and effective. It is probably safe to say that the majority of mental health professionals agree that cyber-therapy is not psychotherapy in the traditional sense. The interactions are indeed helpful for many, but can never replace face-to-face counseling with a therapist. There is some sensitivity about what to precisely call on-line services provided by a psychologist or social worker. Many therapists are uncomfortable with the word "therapy" or "counseling" being used in terms like "cyber-therapy" or "e-therapy." Most feel therapy can't happen over the Internet. Therefore, there is no universally accepted term to describe the interaction between a psychotherapist and you over the Internet.

Two issues that I found interesting and attractive concerned the ethics and the confidentiality of therapeutic services through the Internet

Ethics

The Internet offers psychology new responsibilities and new opportunities since people are seeking advice for their problems. Many Internet services are providing direction and wisdom to troubled souls by psychologists and social workers. They caution that they are not conducting therapy, but rather offering guidance for people who seek help resolving crises or simple answers to everyday questions of living. With the emergence of cyber-therapy, ethics should be considered.
Ethics means making sure the therapist acts responsibly in caring for you. For instance, a therapist on-line must protect your confidentiality. This includes protecting any records of your interactions. A therapist must interact with you in the defined role as a therapist, and not also in a personal or sexual relationship if you should actually meet. Also, a therapist must not misrepresent credentials, fees, or make false claims about therapy, or abandon you.
A "code of ethics" governs mental health professionals' behavior to create an effective healing environment for the client. To uphold ethical standards is exceptionally important on-line. Therefore, a client should seek serious, responsible "healers." To consider the ethical concerns about on-line services, a distinction should be made concerning the type of audience that is being targeted for counseling and therapy. Mental health professionals who provide answers for a mass audience could fall under the category of media psychology which involves sharing psychological knowledge with the public at large. On the other hand, those who respond to an individual's question directly are bound by the same ethical standards such as prohibitions on exploiting a client.

Confidentiality

Therapists must consider it their duty to protect your confidentiality and take it seriously. However, we live in an imperfect world, and, in the best of circumstances, confidentiality can be compromised. For example, it may be necessary to break confidentiality to protect you or someone else from imminent danger or harm. I discussed with friends and classmates about some other reasons why privacy may be compromised. Obviously, if you discuss your problem with someone else besides your therapist, then your problem is not private anymore. What if you print out an e-mail message your therapist sent you? You might discard or hide it, but someone can find it. If someone has access to your computer and knows your e-mail password, then there is a huge possibility of disclosure of your problem. Surely, most people are satisfied that their correspondence with a therapist is safe. Since the use of e-mail to communicate with clients is increasing, therapists may be able to encrypt their messages to protect against any unauthorized access.

Two issues that were not attractive, but quite significant to cyber-therapy concerned the legality and the relatedness of on-line services.

Legality

It should not be terribly complicated to browse the Internet for a potential mental health professional and exchange e-mail until one's problem has come to some kind of resolution. Simple enough? Not quite. This is what makes cyber-therapy not too desirable. The issue of legality must be considered especially if something goes wrong.
Geographical boundaries between people are dissolved when using the Internet. Therefore, it is possible for a therapist in Australia to interact with a client in Canada. This can be a problem in the case of the law if issues arise. There is no international law governing the work of on-line therapists and counselors from different nations and states. Licensing laws differ from state to state. So, if something goes wrong as a result of an interaction with a therapist on-line, it may be impossible to sue or take some other legal action. It is important to find a responsible, competent professional who you can trust.

Relatedness

People who are more inclined to participate in face-to-face psychotherapy are troubled by the notion of attempting a relationship with a therapist on-line. The therapist can not see you, can not interpret facial cues, voice tone, and body language, thus removing a large component of the therapist's art, which is trying to discern what you are not saying, or how you are feeling about what you are saying. Due to these concerns, there is a limitation to how much information is provided. Most mental health professionals on-line may not attempt offering more advice because of professional responsibility. They may feel that deep, caring relationships can not be formed on-line. Therefore, is a client getting all he is paying and hoping for when interacting with a therapist? Indeed, cyber-therapy is not for everyone since it requires certain qualities and commitments on the part of the therapist and client.

Final words

You are expecting a certain amount of trust, objectivity, confidentiality, and professional aptitude when engaging in cyber-therapy. You want your therapist to be dependable and trustworthy. The therapist should be fair and objective when advising you about your problems. Hopefully, your private information will not be disclosed unless it is a matter of legality. Also, the cyber-therapist has a professional responsibility and contractual obligation to make your therapy the most effective experience for you. However, it is good to keep in mind that a cyber-therapist is not all-knowing. A therapist only can grant you solutions dependent upon what one has learned and understood through one's education and work experience. One therapist is not like another on-line. Therefore, if cyber-therapy is for you, you need to do some browsing and inquiring on the computer.
However, psychotherapy is not possible exclusively over the Internet. Therapy involves an ongoing relationship between two people face-to-face. Trust usually builds gradually, and non-verbal aspects of the relationship are often as important as the verbal aspects. Some psychologists worry that people will be tempted to forgo some necessary therapy under the impression that they can get psychological help in the comfortable anonymity of cyberspace. Indeed, on-line advice services are one of the most direct ways to reach the public, but they should not be meant as a substitute for psychotherapy. What cyber-therapy does do is focus the attention of a trained professional on your problems or questions.

Driving Therapy: Surviving the Road

"Breath in the positive, exhale the negative" is a phrase Sy Cohn would be heard advising. Sy Cohn is better known as The Driving Therapist. His specialty is curing driving phobias of clients who have real hang-ups, often incapacitating, about parallel parking to crossing bridges. Fearful drivers are ordinary people like you and I. They are intelligent and successful, yet have some real fears and anxieties interacting with other drivers on the road. Dr. Cohn helps his clients overcome their driving problems by actually being in the car with them if necessary. He has a more direct therapeutic approach because he targets the emotions of his clients. Dr. Cohn is reputable because he is a professional driving instructor who combines his experience with his behavioral psychology training. He has received much publicity by popular magazines and newspapers citing testimonials of his clients' satisfaction of his driving therapy. The success of his practice is largely due to his self-help audio cassette tapes "with beautiful relaxing music" designed to use for all your driving problems while actually driving.
The self-help tapes are meant to be used to heal any fears, phobias, or stresses you may have associated with driving a car. Dr. Cohn hopes that his tapes will increase your self-esteem and teach you how to breath properly. Also, he hopes that his clients will learn how to listen and rate their anxiety while they drive. To improve confidence and feel more relaxed, I liked Dr. Cohn's suggestions of repeating positive affirmations verbally. For example, he recommends saying such phrases like "My car is the happiest, friendliest place on earth" or "Success is the road, not the place." Speaking with friends and classmates on this topic, most felt that repeating positive affirmations would be distracting. Instead, playing their favorite rock music or classical tunes is enough to feel at ease while driving in traffic or negotiating lane changes. Most feel a pump of adrenaline while cruising down the highway with a fast paced music. This was interesting to know.
The Driving Therapist recommends listening to his tapes at home first. Therefore, they can be utilized in other areas of your life besides driving. "They will also help strengthen your self-esteem, confidence, and motivation to help yourself," Dr. Cohn says. He is sure his clients will experience improvements in the way they feel about driving by changing negative experiences and associations to positive ones.

Tips from the Driving Therapist

Two interesting and attractive ideas are how people's personalities and habits affect their abilities to manage stress in their lives particularly in the area of driving and his "survival kit" for the road.

Personality and Habits

Dr. Cohn believes certain personality traits can be attributed to one being prone to high levels of anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and fears. If you have a higher than average intelligence, are hard on yourself, are compulsive, and a perfectionist, then you are a likely candidate. People can strive to be the best in all facets of their lives, but falling short can put a lot of pressure on their emotions.
Dr. Cohn says people need to be attentive to their eating and addictive habits when aiming to minimize stress and anxiety. He recommends eliminating caffeine, sugar, and chocolate because they amplify anxieties. It is common to see drivers puffing cigarettes or flicking ashes out their windows. However, smoking needs to be minimized or eliminated altogether. The goal is to "live a better, happier, fuller life." Dr. Cohn recommends getting a medical examination. Physical problems with the ears or vision can be detected and corrected to ensure safe, stress-free driving.
Dr. Cohn, or the Driving Therapist believes focusing on your breathing is essential."The greatest stress the body gets is not receiving enough oxygen when it needs it the most." It enables the mind to think clearly especially in such a concentrated task like driving. If you are stopped in heavy traffic, focus on your breathing instead of being anxious. Relax and look at the nature around you like the sky. Try and think positively and pleasantly instead of aggressively getting out your car and arguing with the driver in front of you.

Survival Kit

According to the Driving Therapist, a survival kit in the car is a wise idea. "It will contain the necessary things you should have with you to help better cope with the driving tasks and make your car a more user friendly place." He suggests that you will have a more positive association with being in the car. I liked his ideas of the things one should possess while driving. Most of the friends and classmates I discussed this idea with had already had a few of the items suggested to comprise a survival kit. For example, most have water or juice bottles of some sort to keep themselves hydrated. Dr. Cohn suggests chewing on gum or candy. This is easy to comply with. Indeed, nutrition affects how you think and feel. It is important to keep your sugar levels constant. Dr. Cohn recommends keeping raisins or almonds available in the car. Air fresheners provide pleasant smells while driving. However, most of the people I know get headaches because of the strong fragrances when they drive. Relaxing music or what ever type you prefer could be essential to surviving on the road.

Two ideas that are not attractive are his advice about defensive driving and the reality of how stress-related symptoms can quite possibly incapacitate effective driving.

Defensive Driving

Defensive driving is important to practice. It is not so much that you will cause an accident, but rather being on guard to avoid another driver from side-swiping you. It is as if you have to be concerned with both yourself and the other driver when on the road. That is a lot of responsibility. Dr. Cohn mentions that "when you wonder what the other car is going to do, look at the driver not at their car, and get eye to eye contact." Well, because society has become more hostile and uptight, particularly when driving, I do not agree with his advice. You can get shot or run off the road in today's world for even trying to get eye contact. Your facial gestures might be interpreted as threatening, and, if you happen to provoke an unfriendly driver, then trouble is inevitable. People need to chill out and not interpret annoying drivers as personally attacking them. They don't know you from Adam so to speak. If this was a perfect, law-abiding society, then we would probably have smooth traffic flows and forgiving drivers.

Stress Signs

Managing and controlling stress is crucial when on the road. People need to recognize the symptoms of stress and deal with them. It would be very undesirable to drive along someone on the highway who is full of built up anger, aggression, or is a nervous wreck. Dr. Cohn does list physical, psychological, and behavioral signs of stress. "We need to take stress seriously, it's killing us." Having stress is not "attractive," therefore, one must be able to determine how one is feeling. It is distressing to know that "70% of all accidents are stress-related. Some stress signs to be aware of that could affect your driving would be the following: low energy, tension, anxiety, anger, diminished memory or recall, or inappropriate mistrust or hostility toward associates.

Dr. Cohn vs. Dr. Driving

Sy Cohn and Dr. Driving have different approaches to driving problems. Dr. Cohn deals with emotional help, or, rather, therapy for his anxious clients. Dr. Driving uses a direct approach by dealing less with therapy and with ways to modify behaviors. This means changing behavior as a driver.
Dr. Driving wants people to learn safer ways to drive. He offers driving education by mentioning rules of the road and ways to know your car. One needs to be educated to improve driving. To survive driving, Dr. Driving recommends regaining control at the wheel. First, admit that you are out of control. Second, witness yourself being out of control. Third, modify your driving personality one step at a time. Check out Dr. Driving's Three-Step Program and his chart on the Nine Zones of Your Driving Personality. Dr. Driving encourages facilitated driving rather than defensive driving. Drivers need to be forgiving and in control. In other words, "Drive with the Aloha Spirit."
Dr. Cohn wants people to learn healthier ways to drive which is evident by his stress-management techniques and advice about nutrition. Dr. Cohn uses an indirect approach because he attributes driving problems to stress, feelings, and motivations. He wants his clients to focus on their breathing, visualizing beautiful, relaxing scenes, imagining "a white light of energy inside of you" that is warm, nurturing, and protects, and repeating positive affirmations to themselves. He advises not to take life seriously. Relax. Breath. Drive. Buy the tapes.

Final Words

I can not relate these two driving approaches to myself because I do not drive. However, as an experienced passenger, I have witnessed road rage and impatience being displayed on the road, not necessarily by other drivers, but also by my own father and friends who end up on unfriendly lanes. The frustrating part about surviving on the road is having to see them put up with people cutting in front or tail-gating them. The instantaneous reaction is to get mad, aggressive, and even. Dr. Driving and the Driving Therapist would feel these feelings are undesirable indeed. Dr. Driving would advise my dad and friends to modify their behaviors in order to have control at the wheel. Safety comes first. The Driving Therapist would advise my dad and friends to Relax, Breath, and Drive! His approach concerns managing one's stress on the road in order to feel better and to be a more effective driver. This is important for my dad and friends to know. It doesn't help to be angry with another driver because your health, concentration, and enjoyment of driving will deteriorate. Patience is key to preventing trouble on the road. Think twice before pressing down on the breaks to catch that driver that messed with you. In today's society it is not worth risking your health and your life, perhaps.

Cyberspace Counter-Culture: Breaking the Bounds of Society

A way in which cyberspace creates new kinds of communities is what is meant by the concept cyberspace counter-culture. According to Dr. James, cyberspace is a technology enabled, informational area. It brings into being the existence and the development of communities which are able to influence each another.
In class I learned that the anthropology, sociology, psychology, and communication of cyberspace converge to create new ways of interaction. Culture evolves and operates on our mind. Cyberspace provides cultural resources to interact with in order to exchange information and expose the self. Communities are being constructed in cyberspace on the basis of common interests, transcending boundaries of race, gender, language, and class.
Technology serves a way to facilitate communities in order to be able to identify with groups. It allows interaction and communication which did not exist before. It is a new direction that is more likely to be disapproved of by the mainstream society. Therefore, "it is crucial to take a functional perspective when investigating cyberspace counter-cultures," says Dr. James. It is recommended not to judge. Technology can help offer the discovery of who you are that you probably never thought about. The self is like property, or, rather, a possession. There are whole continuums of identifying ourselves. There is an opportunity to learn who you are superficially versus who you are distinctly.
With cyberspace technology, we have the ability to cross virtual borders, thereby increasing joint activity. This is a modern-day phenomenon. From the earliest forms of technology like the writing pad, stick, and wheel to the present, technology serves to overcome space and time limitations and to not be a barrier. Technology pushes something to another place and dimension.
Cyberspace counter-culture defines boundaries. It transgresses the bounds of culture which is defined by what is allowed or not allowed. People want to cross boundaries and, as a counter-culture, they want to change them by refusing to go along with expectations. Cyberspace has opened new freedoms because of technology. There is a freedom to break the bounds of culture. This is what cyberspace counter-culture is about.

Technology and Transgression

"Technology is a weapon. It threatens the social order. More than words, more than ideas, it enables people to transgress the boundaries of their society." -Steve Mizrach

Three sections that are important and interesting to discuss from the article Technology and Transgression are the radio underground, the computer underground, and the modern primitives.

Radio Underground

Cyberspace needs to be extended to include the radio underground culture since it is populated with messages sent on cellular phones by government and civil defense agencies, by amateurs using truck radios, or by those with no licenses such as the clandestine listeners.
Electronic equipment is available to eavesdrop on cyberspace. So, a new kind of cyberspace is evolving. Radio underground technologies are integrated in cyberspace. Satellites are no different from all this, but they are not integrated in cyberspace. Therefore, all elements of cyberspace have not been reached yet. It is still expanding and integrating.
It was interesting to learn that the radio underground has been around for a long time. But, like most people, I was not aware of its total existence until I took this cyberpsychology course. There are mainly three groups making up this culture. These groups are the scanner freaks, clandestine listeners, and the radio pirates.
Scanner freaks and clandestine enthusiasts basically like to eavesdrop on information rather than transmit it. Using radio scanners, they can listen to conversations on police or military frequencies or even cellular phone calls. It is scary to know that scanner freaks have access to kits which are currently unregulated. Therefore, the snooping goes on without the government being able to monitor it. It's a move toward an espionage society. Scanner freaks prefer mysterious areas to pick frequencies up on such as from military bases. I thought spies from foreign countries did this kind of thing only. It is such an intrusive act.
Radio pirates participate in a dangerous activity because they are involved in unregulated radio programming without a license. The frequencies of planes and ships are vulnerable to interference. Major accidents could occur due to incoherent signals. Radio pirates know how to dodge an agency like the FCC. They skip frequencies which are harder to trace. Also, they are irritated with the FCC which "sells off the airwaves to the highest bidder when they are supposed to be public property."

Computer Underground

Steve Mizrach categorizes the computer underground into four categories. These are the hackers, phreakers, cryptoanarchists, and the virologists. "Total open access to technology" is considered the guiding principle behind the group of people comprising the computer underground. They feel they have the right to know everything about the systems they use no matter if they are phone or university networks.
Hackers want everything to be free. They will break into or open what they want. Hackers aim "for total and open access to hardware, software, and data." They are quite destructive to the social order. Their counter-culture certainly violates boundaries. They do what is disapproved of in mainstream society. Hackers do not get money out of what they do. Basically, hackers want to change the social system and save money.
To investigate a little more indepth about hackers, I used the Yahoo search engine to find a website called Hacker Ethics which explains what a hacker actually does in cyberspace. Definitions are provided by the members of the National Hacker Association. For example, a hacker is a person who "gains great joy in overcoming limitations within a system." The hacker has an "intimate understanding of the internal workings of computers and computer networks." Hackers claim that they "do not perform illegal acts, sabotage, or break into any systems without prior permission. Hackers disapprove of being compared to crackers. Crackers are individuals who "illegally access computer systems for fun or profit." Once access has been gained by crackers, harm is not necessarily imminent. "For some, cracking is a challenge of just finding a way into a system and snooping around undetected."
Phreakers do not want government agencies to have private files on people. They aim "for total and open fundamental communicational freedom." Indeed, things are accessible, but not to everyone.
Cryptoanarchists want to avoid rules and laws. They don't like the idea of encrypting, and they don't want the government to have access to society's affairs like bank accounts. Many cryptoanarchists are happy with crypto programs as "a source of reliable, untraceable identification, and communication; the protection of privacy and anonymity through technology." A cryptoanarchist views cryptography as the ability to evade citizens' activities and their identities.

Modern Primitives

Modern Primitives practice body manipulation and ritualistic adornment like body piercing, tattoos, or branding. They view the human body as a canvas which in turn becomes a "bulletin board" to transmit information. Like many other counter-cultures expressing themselves in cyberspace, a modern primitive is quoted as saying, "Modern artists interpret the broken way of living and the expressiveness of primitive cultures and show the 'primitives' master present day problems in a different perhaps even better way than we in the Old World." The term "Modern Primitives" is usually associated with the name Fakir Musafar. He is an advertising executive who has been practicing various forms of body play since the age of fourteen. In fact, he has his own body modification magazine called Body Play & Modern Primitives. He provides plenty of pictures and stories about corsets and tight-lacing, body sculpting, and body piercing.
Using the Alta Vista search engine, I found an enlightening article about modern primitives. This article incorporates plenty of personal accounts about body manipulation being a form of expression and even therapy. As one individual by the name of Nedermayer says, "I find piercing to be very therapeutic and a way of asserting yourself." Nedermayer operates his own body shop. He will pierce almost any part of a body like the genitals or tongue. Most people cringe at the thought of body piercing because they fear the pain. However, Nedermayer feels that his clients are anything but masochists. Instead they want to externalize beauty. Most body manipulation is considered decoration rather than mutilation. One client feels "that people need to be a little more open-minded."
Most modern primitives have piercings or tattoos done not so much for adornment purposes, but done in the name of "reclaiming the body" by removing the self from certain situations like abuse. As one client said, "Emerging from that (abuse), I saw myself as a warrior, but I had no lasting battle wound that would serve me as a reminder of what I had been through. My nose piercing is my wound, and I feel that it has allowed me the strength to move forward from the patterns of abuse."
In today's world, nothing seems permanent. However, most modern primitives have a sense of permanency with tattoos or brands. This was a fascinating insight as well as the type of clientele who seek body "art." I thought only prisoners, sailors, tough bikers, or "show-offs" walked around with tattoos and such on their body. However, quite the contrary! Today, it is common to see professional, well-educated people with body adornments. These "modern primitives" being doctors, lawyers, and even policemen.
By getting tattoos, modern primitives can get their ideas out of their heads and onto their skins. Tattoos serve as reminders of past experiences, as "protectors" from harm, as having personal meaning, or as self-expression reflecting where one has been and who one is. "In an era where overpopulation and the breakdown of representative government provide an overall feeling of despair in regards to one person's ability to have an affect on the destiny of the world, many people are taking control of what they can. In the case of the modern primitives, this means their own bodies."
Despite the possibility of not being hired for a certain job or being looked at like one is insane, modern primitives accept the "feeling of exploration in breaking away from traditional notions of beauty and acceptability." Human expression is becoming more diversified and is crossing over many traditional boundaries. This is significant to counter-cultures. With computers, technology is bringing us all closer together in cyberspace. Individuals want to "break free of the pre-determined notions of expression dictated by mass culture." For modern primitives, the human body is a canvas. Body "art" is a reflection of the personal self.

Final Considerations: Internet Revolution

The conclusion from my first report, Cyberspace and Mind, emphasizes that virtual communities are made possible with interactivity in cyberspace. Virtual communities are produced when people group together and are bonded by a common interest. "Mutual interest in an activity, intention, and communal concerns about a subject of discussion produce virtual communities." Virtual reality is in turn created. There are virtual reality zones that suit diverse groups of people. A counter-culture is an example. With an open mind, greater joint activity is possible. "We all come from different walks of lives. We have the freedom to cross virtual borders to areas of cyberspace that are enticing, attractive, absorbing, and pleasing to the mind."
My conclusion about virtual reality in my first report relates to this second report in such a way that as the Internet continues to revolutionize and expand by providing mental health services and forums for free expression, the more interaction and communication will take place, thereby forming virtual communities. People navigating themselves through cyberspace can click on hypertext links of interest and become members of virtual communities. A virtual community on-line may include people who suffer from depression for example. By having this particular disorder in common, people can communicate their experiences through e-mail. Information is accessible and available to all who visit this virtual community. There may be links to articles, therapists, and other sources of help. With more communication and interaction, people will delve deeper into cyberspace. Interpersonal communication is boosted to a much higher level. If being a modern primitive strikes you as fascinating, unrestricted virtual space has been granted on the Internet to anyone wanting to be a member. You have the opportunity to share your feelings and thoughts. With the presence of cyber-therapy, driving therapy, and cyberspace counter-cultures on the Internet, communal minds are able to strive together, which strengthens virtual reality.
My two reports for this cyberpsychology class advance my understanding of cyberspace and virtual reality in relation to mind by emphasizing how the experience of connecting with others through the computer with hypertext technology expands virtual reality. It is as simple as clicking on a link in a home page of a cyber-therapist or a computer underground hacker. Soon, you have congregated at a site of interest or need and, in turn, are part of a virtual community. The experience of reading becomes enriched because there is greater access to a member's philosophy, intentions, creativity, advice, and thoughts.
Interactivity is stimulated in cyberspace because an exchange is taking place whether it be between a therapist and client or between modern primitives sharing body art techniques. One-to-one contact exists even though it is not face-to-face. One should realize that the mind's function is power and meaning. Cyberspace is the mental world formed by physical elements like the Internet.
As technology progresses, the future of cyberspace and virtual reality will continue to be shaped and constructed. More and more people are going on-line resulting in greater interaction and communication in the Information Age. A type of evolution and development is happening just as long as there is interaction.
The Internet is a wild frontier. Norms are being extended and broken. Boundaries are expanding, and cyberspace allows this. The future of cyberspace and virtual reality is striving as communal minds come together continually.
Cyberspace can be considered to be related to spirit as well as mind. Clicking on a link is a spiritual act which creates communal mind in virtual reality under the influence of interests, intentions, and feelings. Mind is used to make moral decisions on-line. "Self-witnessing one's interests and intentions creates the opportunity for moral self-assessment, for a change of heart, and for a new direction in living and becoming." You have the free will to explore or reject certain sites. A person's spirit will also determine conduct in cyberspace.
Access, interaction, and communication (with reactions) are all important aspects of cyberspace. As my report discussed, cyber-therapy, driving therapy, and cyberspace counter-cultures all contribute to increasing joint activity in cyberspace. With interaction, virtual communities are created. Therefore, there is something for everyone in cyberspace!

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