In the modern world we are surrounded by technology. Gadgets such as cell phones, portable computers, and electronic diaries accompany us throughout the day. But is this a good thing? Are we being served by these technological wonders, or have we become enslaved by them? Does constant availability via technology make us more efficient or more stressed? Is our ability to connect with others all over the world, day or night, making us more sociable or turning us into recluses in a virtual world? This book considers the impact of technology on the different spheres of our life - work, home, family and leisure - and assesses ways in which to build better communication between technology developers and society to ensure that technology enhances our lives and psychological well-being, rather than damaging them.

Review of the hardback:‘Giving voice to different perspectives and practical concerns, this inspired book presents an original, wide-ranging read, spanning from remote pasts to close futures. An overview of challenges and promises of technologies is offered along with a call for a humanistic agenda culminating in shared critical capability, precious and powerful as a ‘lighthouse in the darkness'.'

Alberta Contarello - University of Padua, Italy

Review of the hardback:‘There have been many substantial books looking at the wide impact of new technologies on our political, economic and social lives. Technology and Psychological Well-being is one of the first to step back and look at the deeper, long-range significance of the communication technology that is reshaping our lives. With an extraordinary set of contributors, this book breaks new ground and makes an enormous contribution to understanding the ways in which our well-being, happiness and sense of security are shifting from all the technology in our lives. Only now, after a generation has experienced all this change, can such large and important issues begin to be properly understood.’

Jeffrey Cole - Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School

Review of the hardback:‘Talk of information overload, Internet addiction, and work-life imbalance conveys a common fear of our well-being getting lost in the pursuit of technological gadgets and lifestyles. This book throws a critical, academic light on the countervailing role that new information and communication technologies can play in shaping the quality - social and psychological - of our everyday life and work. An excellent contribution to our understanding of technology and society.’

William H. Dutton - University of Oxford