ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the impact of mobile telephones and texting, communication by electronic mail, Skype, and through social network sites on the sense of self as it develops in relationship with our attachment figures, and throughout life. The former will rely on technology to feel closely connected at all times while the latter feels reassured by the remoteness that technology permits. The infant experiences psychological containment through skin-to-skin contact, and until the containing functions have been introjected, the concept of a space within the self cannot arise. The infant’s smile has a special place in our relational repertoire, seducing mother into falling in love with her baby and reassuring her that she is loved and needed. Since then, sophisticated technology has instigated an evolutionary leap. It has changed the social landscape, providing new methods of communication, new forms of language, and new metaphors for thinking about ourselves.
