Psychodynamic Functions of Digital Media within Our Child/Adolescent Sessions – From Interference to Enhancement – A Benevolent Viewpoint

ABSTRACT To provide a structure for our thinking about the impact of digital media on our therapeutic work, I have outlined a way of organizing such thinking. I utilize the idea of the “psychodynamic functions” digital media perform within the context of our therapeutic work. Based mainly on my own experiences as a therapist, I outline 16 “psychodynamic functions,” which are the most frequent and salient ones. I provide additional structure by organizing these “psychodynamic functions” into three categories. The three categories are the “enhancing functions” that are likely to contribute to the richness of our psychoanalytic work, the “straddling functions” which are likely to have both enriching, enhancing aspects at times, along with defensive or impeding aspects at other times, and finally, the “defensive functions” which seem always to have defensive purposes. Equipped with these conceptualizations of psychodynamic functions, I consider seven detailed clinical examples of children and adolescents who have used digital media in their sessions. These examples include one patient suffering from trauma, one at a neurotic level of functioning, and five who were on the autism spectrum (either Asperger’s or high-functioning autism). I conclude with integrated reflections on the case illustrations, including discussion of how formulating the psychodynamic functions illuminates the types of in-session interventions to consider.