A few months ago, signing up for Cyberpsychology as my core course was the first taste of excitement for my semester with DIS. The promise of a trip to Amsterdam an majorly influenced my excitement, but the trip was really more than I could have asked for. Now, as I write this post-trip I can’t help but write with post-travel blues. It feels surreal that it’s over and that the semester is really coming to an end.
But before diving in to the blog, check out more of my photos from Amsterdam here.
Let’s get into it. Cyberpsychology this semester has been a deep dive into the complex relationship between technology and human behavior. We’ve explored how the digital world shapes our thoughts, anxieties, and even our desire for connection. It’s a fascinating topic, but I really didn’t think Amsterdam could relate to our class. But as I ventured off on my own, the city offered a surprising counterpoint to our digital age. Pockets of resistance to the constant online buzz were hidden among different stores and cafes. I’m big “sit at a cafe and do work person”, but I quickly found out that many of the cafes had limited to no Wifi, as to encourage face-to-face interactions. It was a great way to show off Amsterdam’s charm and take in these pockets that implored this type of ruling. So despite initially thinking Amsterdam wouldn’t relate, through the academic visits and cultural activities, the city offered many insights to technology.
Technology:
In our first full day in Amsterdam, we dove headfirst into the world of technology, crafting our own Snapchat filters right on our laptops. Before you imagine lines of complex code and coding headaches, it was a lot more accessible and simple to create them in which lead the conversations to talking about technology and the evolution of user-friendly across the board. I experimented with playful features like face-stretching and visual overlays, but the real gem was my “Which Cyberpsychology Student Are You?” filter. This filter worked just like those with spinning options—a blink or raised eyebrow would stop the carousel and reveal a face. But here’s the fun part: I programmed it to cycle through portraits of all 23 classmates, and could spend time using it to get ourselves or another person in the class. I managed to get my own face on the first try… or like my fourth…
Using Lens Studio to create my own Snapchat filters.
Our next activity was certainly not as passive as creating Snapchat filters. To preface, if I’m being so real, my #1 fear might be a little embarrassing—zombies. It honestly probably started when I would watch my dad and sister play Call of Duty zombies but yeah…it has somehow manifested into this irrational fear of the undead. To my demise, this activity was a fully immersive free-roaming Virtual Reality experience where we try to survive waves of zombies. If you want to check out what we were seeing, here’s a quick trailer for the game Overrun 2. Throughout the semester, in Aarhus and in the CyberPsychology Lab, I’ve had many interactions with VR but this experience was different. I was able to fully move around to the point where it was actually encouraged due to the nature of the game, you know to run away from the zombies and all. But it was a crazy experience! Me and five other classmates were in the world for 20 minutes straight where we able to see eachother move around in the virtual space. A highlight was definitely when we all tried to sit on a couch in the ame, but really we were just squatting in the air and then proceeded to be rushed by a hoard of zombies. While it was fun, I almost shit my pants a couple times. God I hate zombies. Taking off the headset was even more disorienting because it felt weird, my body felt out of place. It’s a feeling hard to describe unless you’ve experienced yourself…but it is becoming the future in my opinion so everyone should try VR at least once.
Zombies vs. Cyberpsychology students.
Art:
Glorified doodles? Overpriced antiques? That was really the extent of my understanding. But wandering through the streets and various museums of Amsterdam, I think I’ve begun to understand what art and the artists behind them have to offer. Works by Banksy and Warhol at the Moco Museum were instant favorites. But Robbie Williams’ exhibit truly blew me away. His pieces tackled mental health with a blend of humor and vulnerability that resonated deeply. Here was art that didn’t shy away from the raw realities of mental struggles, mirroring some of my own battles. The Van Gogh Museum offered a different kind of revelation. To visibly learn and see the evolution of his ten-year journey as an artist was so cool. If you didn’t know he painted more than 900 paintings in his short career which is INSANE. Paintings like “Sunflowers” and “Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds” were just as deservedly glorified as I’d heard. NXT Museum, the site of the previously mentioned Snapchat workshop, offered a contrasting experience Here, technology became the artistic tool, creating interactive exhibits that blurred the line between observer and participant. The piece in the bottom right corner of the collage below is actually my classmate Maya and me, the stars of this interactive artwork. The machine scans for faces, takes their picture, and then prints it out large scale. It was entertaining but a honestly a bit disturbing as well. The exhibit as a whole was a reminder that art isn’t just about static paintings on a wall. It’s about pushing boundaries, provoking thought, and encouraging engagement in new and innovative ways. Now I’m still no art fanatic, but a newly found appreciation was gained from this trip.
Photos of various art works from the Moco, Van Gogh & NXT museum.
Disconnect:
One of our activities for the day was disconnecting, and exploring the more rural parts outside Amsterdam. You can read about this experience in a seperate blog here: Amsterdam Unplugged, but the big takeaway here is that I learned I heavily rely on my phone for both social and practical reasons, too an extent that is maybe a bit concerning.`
Classmates to Friends:
To conclude, I might get sappy here but stick with me. I wrote about the Invisible String Theory, earlier but as I reflect on this trip, it’s prevalence shines once again; the string of CyberPsych connecting me to twenty-three others. A few months ago, I chose Cyberpsychology as my core course since it was a cool and unique topic with a travel destination like Amsterdamn. Little did I know it would lead me to some of my favorite memories of the semester. We spent this trip laughing, exploring, and forming bonds that went beyond the initial awkwardness of meeting new people. It’s truly the people that make the trip and I’m so thankful for my class.
To my Cyberpsychology classmates of Spring 2024, a heartfelt thank you. You turned strangers into travel buddies, classmates into friends. See you all in class tomorrow!
If you’re a friend from home or school, a family member, another DIS student or just browsing, thanks for reading!
-Kyle
Cyberpsychology class perusing around Amsterdam.
Chasing Copenhagen 