E-Governmentality and Social Suffering: Towards a New Public Health Framework for Addressing Cyberpsychology Challenges
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The increasing influence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including Artificial Intelligence (AI), on global mental health presents a critical area for intervention. Unethical practices such as persuasive design, predatory monetization, and structural violence embedded within digital platforms intensify psychosocial vulnerabilities. This paper employs a biosocial perspective to critique the dominant neoliberal narrative of individual self-responsibility—particularly the “superpowers” discourse surrounding psychological disorders—which obscures systemic and social determinants of mental distress. Introducing the concept of E-Governmentality, the study elucidates new forms of biopower exercised through digital governance and influence by charismatic authorities—namely “Influencers”—in the contemporary digital landscape. A scalable, community-based intervention model is proposed to integrate AI/ICT-related mental health concerns into the European Union’s public health agenda. The analysis underscores the urgent need for regulatory frameworks, ethical standards, and heightened social awareness to foster healthier digital environments, thereby challenging existing E-Governmentality paradigms.
Author: Alfes, Carlos Wanice
Language: English
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7088024712
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