Re:boot

Rethinking how individuals interact in our online world.

The digital landscape is changing the ways in which we interact, and NTU is helping the world to decide how we respond. Our researchers Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths recognise the impact of new tech on our health, and they're introducing new strategies to reduce the harm caused by online activities.

Virtual means of interacting, such as online gambling, gaming, social media, and dating apps, are now more accessible. The harmful effects of these virtual applications have become a serious health concern, since evidence shows that excessive online use can impact mental health.

Despite this, research on this topic is limited. The medical consequences of harmful online activities are poorly understood, and current preventative approaches in the UK and Europe are only scratching the surface.

Experts Daria and Mark are therefore reimagining research around online behaviours. Through the International Gaming Research Unit and the Cyberpsychology Research Group, they are shaping policies to ensure individuals interact safely in our online world.

Re:boot - rethinking how individuals interact in our online world

By analysing different parts of online activities, our researchers are supporting people most at risk of developing behavioural problems. They’ve investigated social media and developed an app to monitor the link between Instagram use, mood and well-being; and they’ve contributed to getting Gaming Disorder internationally recognised as a mental health condition by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Our researchers have also developed new tools to minimise online gambling harms, now employed by more than 50 global gambling companies. They were recently awarded a prize for their player protection tool at the 2022 Casino Awards.

Our researchers are collaborating with major organisations like the European Parliament, the Government Council of the Czech Republic and UK Parliament Committees. Their work is having a global impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental health disorders. They're also helping to change attitudes towards these conditions and other online addictions.

This research was recently submitted to the Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience Unit of Assessment in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. 100% of the research quality was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

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Daria Kuss

Dr Daria Kuss is an Associate Professor at NTU Psychology. Her work is internationally recognised and her award-winning research has been widely covered in the media and scientific literature.

Mark Griffiths

Professor Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit.

Safety and Sustainability

This research aligns to NTU’s Safety and Sustainability research theme.

Find out more about the research theme

The International Gaming Research Unit

The International Gaming Research Unit is a world-leading research unit with a primary research focus on the psychosocial factors related to various forms of gambling, gaming, cyberpsychology and behavioural addictions.

Find out more about the International Gaming Research Unit

Cyberpsychology Research Group

The Cyberpsychology Research Group is very active in undertaking and disseminating research in the psychology of the Internet and digital technology use.

Find out more about the research group