InBits

Is Fandom Good for You? The Cyberpsychology of Stans, Ships and Parasocial Love

Is fandom good for your mental health—or quietly wrecking it? We are joined by researcher Derek Laffan to discuss his research on K-pop, the positives and negatives of fandom communities. Join us and dive into Cyberpsychology of stans, ships, and parasocial love: K‑pop, influencers and parasocial relationships, parasocial grief, and shipping conspiracies.
Resources
Positive Psychosocial Outcomes and Fanship in K-Pop Fans: A Social Identity Theory Perspective - Laffan et al. (2021).
Effects of Online Fan Community Interactions on Well-Being and Sense of Virtual Community - Kim et al. (2023).
The role of cyberbullying victimization in the relationship between psychological sense of community and well‑being among BTS fans. - Laffan et al. (2023)

The Truth About Cyberstalking

This week we're focusing on cyberstalking, something far more serious than secretly checking someone's Instagram. We're joined by an incredible guest, Dr Cassidy Weekes, whose research focuses on exactly this issue. We're talking criminal harassment that ruins lives, and we'll look at some high profile cases and stories from the media that highlight just how disturbing this behavior gets.
We talk about who the perpetrators are, and what drives them, how they use everything from constant messaging to spyware, GPS tracking, and hacking accounts. We also look at the effects on victims, who can end up with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and serious impacts on their lives and loved ones.
This episide definitely needs a content warning and pleae find resources below if you have, or are, experiencing anything like this. 
 
Dr Cassidy Weekes on LinkedIn
 
Resources in Ireland
Information about what to do if you're being stalked in Ireland
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/law-enforcement/civil-restraining-orders/
https://www.stalkinginireland.ie/support
https://hotline.ie/irish-support-services/
https://www.womensaid.ie/get-help/talk-to-us/
 
 
Resources in the UK
https://www.suzylamplugh.org/
National Stalking Helpline: 0808 802 0300
https://alicerugglestrust.org/
 
Research
Weekes, C, et al.. (2025). Cyberstalking Perpetrators and Their Methods: A Systematic Literature Review
 
Branković et al. (2022). How traditional stalking and cyberstalking correlate with the Dark Tetrad traits?
 
Stevens, et al. (2021). Cyber Stalking, Cyber Harassment, and Adult Mental Health: A Systematic Review  

The internet is made of cats

We have a fun episode to start the new year, where we explores the psychology, history, and science behind the internet's (and Nicola’s) obsession with feline content. We were lucky to have a guest in studio with us for this episode, Dr Grace Carroll, an expert in animal behaviour, with a particular interest in cats!
We trace the evolution of cat memes from the 2007 launch of "I Can Has Cheezburger?" through to today's weird and viral AI cat Chubby.
We unpack how baby features in animals activate our caregiving instincts, why cats might be like cuckoos, how domestication works, what the "cute aggression" phenomenon is (that urge to squeeze adorable things), and how cat videos genuinely improve mood, reduce anxiety, and combat loneliness!
Cats conquered the internet because they're perfectly engineered for it—cute, funny, and capable of triggering real emotional connections across all cultures.
And for once we need no content warning! And check our instagram for pictures of the cats we talked about in the episode! 
 
Special thanks to Joel Veitch of the band Rathergood.com who kindly allowed us to use the viral song The internet is made of cats in this episode:  https://open.spotify.com/track/1VoLR7BNTIODmwvVWLnobX
 
Links to stories/media
The history of I Can Has Cheezburgerhttps://www.cnet.com/culture/the-history-of-i-can-has-cheezburger/https://icanhas.cheezburger.com/
BBC - How cats won the internet - Maria Bustillos 2015 https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150918-how-did-cats-win-the-internet
Maru's Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/mugumogu
The unstoppable rise of Chubby: Why TikTok's AI-generated cat could be the future of the internet https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240819-why-these-ai-cat-videos-may-be-the-internets-future
 
Studies
Shiri Lieber-Milo (2025). Cuteness and Its Emotional Responseshttps://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/5/3/146
Stavropoulos & Alba. (2018). “It’s so Cute I Could Crush It!”: Understanding Neural Mechanisms of Cute Aggressionhttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00300/full
Zhang et al. (2025). Animal Video Lovers Always Have Company: The Role of Cyber-Mediated Animal Attachment in Loneliness,  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/17/2593
Li et al. (2025). Psychological Benefits of Companion Animals: Exploring the Distinction Between Ownership and Online Animal Watchinghttps://brill.com/view/journals/soan/aop/article-10.1163-15685306-bja10244/article-10.1163-15685306-bja10244.xml
Kogan et al (2018). Use of Short Animal-Themed Videos to Enhance Veterinary Students’ Mood, Attention, and Understanding of Pharmacology Lectureshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28960127/
Jessica Gall Myrick. (2015). Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online: Who watches Internet cats, why, and to what effect?https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.001
 
 
 

The Cyber Christmas Special

Christmas has gone digital—we shop online, video call the family abroad, and scroll through everyone's seemingly perfect holiday posts. But what's all this screen time actually doing to us?
In this special Christmas episode, we get into the psychology behind our online Christmas habits. Why do we post photos of our Christmas trees and do we compare them to more perfect ones (like Liams)? Why does Spotify Wrapped feel so personal and what do we get out of sharing it? Can video calls with family make us feel both connected and lonely at the same time?
We also cover the messier bits: how Instagram's algorithm shows you everyone's highlight reel (minus the family rows), why Christmas music is fine when you choose it but torture when it's blasted at you in the shops, and the rise in some more negative aspects of the online world over the Christmas break.
The takeaway? You don't need to reject your phone at Christmas—just be more thoughtful about how you're using it.
 
Research
Lonely Algorithms on TikTok - Taylor & Chen (2024)
Music Management in workplaces - Keeler et al. (2025)
Combating Loneliness with Nostalgia - Abeyta et al. (2020)
Resources
HSE Combating Loneliness and isolation 
Alone.ie
Avoiding Online Scams

Cyber Christmas trailer! Dropping 12th December!

We were planning to take a break over Christmas, but Liam surprised us all (including Nicola) with a Christmas special! It drops Friday the 12th, then we'll be on hiatus until January 6th to rest and recharge for 2026. And no, we're not making any predictions about how that year will go—we're not jinxing it!

The Algorithm Will See You Now: The promise and perils of AI therapy

In this episode, we explore AI's growing role in mental health support and therapy. We revisit the story of ELIZA, the 1960s chatbot that unexpectedly convinced users it could understand them, and examine what this reveals about our tendency to project human qualities onto technology.
Our discussion covers recent research showing mental health is now the top query for ChatGPT in Ireland, with many users turning to AI for emotional support and coping strategies instead of traditional therapy. We investigate why people are choosing AI alternatives, the concerns therapists have raised about issues like suicidal thoughts and depression being discussed with chatbots, and the critical limitations of AI systems that cannot report harm or maintain the confidential, professional standards of human therapists.
Finally, we discuss the future: the promise and limits of therapeutic AI tools, the need for guardrails and regulation, and why human clinicians must play a central role in shaping how AI supports mental health without replacing essential human connection.
Join us as we examine the intersection of artificial intelligence, human connection, and mental health care in the digital age.
Support resources:If you have been affected by the content of this episode in any way, the supports at the link below may be of assistance. If you are not in Ireland, please seek supports local to you. 
Irish Health Service Executive mental health supports
The Samaritans – Suicide prevention phone line.
Childline (ISPCC): Free, confidential 24/7 support service for children and young people up to 18. Call 1800 66 66 66, text 50101, or chat online at childline.ie.
SpunOut.ie: Youth information website with articles on mental health; offers free 24/7 text support—Text SPUNOUT to 50808.
TeenLine: Active listening service for young people, call 1800 833 634 (24/7)
Pieta House: For crisis mental health support and suicide prevention, Free 24/7 helpline: 1800 247 247.
Key papers:
Ricon (2025) - AI and adolescent Relationships: Bridging emotional intelligence and practical guidance. Computers in Human Behavior.
Try the Eliza chatbot
Zhang et al., 2025 (pre-print). What Happens, What Helps, What Hurts: A Qualitative Analysis of User Experiences with Large Language Models for Mental Health Support. 
Santos et al., 2025 (pre-print). Evaluating the Clinical Safety of LLMs in Response to High-Risk Mental Health Disclosures.
Special Report: AI-Induced Psychosis: A New Frontier in Mental Health
 
Journalism/Opinion:
ChatGPT Is Blowing Up Marriages as Spouses Use AI to Attack Their Partners 
Wired: AI Psychosis Is Rarely Psychosis at All
Hannah Holmes. A Psychologist's Open-Minded First Take on AI Therapy

Loving an AI Bot: Digital Soulmates?

From AI “boyfriends” to chatbots helping you flirt on dating apps, artificial intelligence is quietly stepping into the most human of spaces: emotional connection.
In this episode, we explore how AI is being used to replace or replicate intimacy, and what that says about us. We trace the story from Eliza, the 1960s chatbot that first made people feel understood by a machine, to today’s AI companions that promise empathy, romance, and even love.
Along the way, we talk about the people forming deep bonds with their chatbots, examine what is driving these connections, and ask whether an algorithm can really love you back. There are real benefits like comfort, confidence, and even healing, but also darker sides like manipulation, dependency, and heartbreak when an AI “partner” updates or disappears.
Finally, a lighter look at how AI is reshaping the dating world, from matchmaking bots to “chatfishing”. Are we finding connection, or just automating it?

Beyond Stranger Danger: Rethinking Online Risks for Kids

This episode explores the realities of online safety for children and adolescents, addressing our common concerns, device use, and the shifting risks in today’s digital landscape. We discuss the research, parental perspectives including cyberbullying, exploitation, social media dynamics, and how we can use legislation to support safer online behaviour.
Research
Sutton & Finkelhor (2023): Crimes against children and adolescents online
Shillair et al. (2015): Tailored interventions for online safety
Support Services
Webwise.ie 
hotline.ie
childline.ie
ispcc.ie

Scrolling for Perfection: How Social Media Shapes Body Image

In this episode we deep dive into the relationship between social media and our perceptions of body image. We examine how social media platforms influence body image for people of different genders, ages, and communities and look at some social media trends which may be problematic. 
Research
Dougherty & Krawczyk (2018): Gender differences in media exposure and trait appearance comparison.
Ryding & Kuss (2020): Meta-analysis of 40 studies showing passive, image-based social comparison.
Lonergan et al (2020): Social media posting and editing behaviours and eating disorder risk among adolescents
Support Services
Bodywhys: The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland - bodywhys.ie
Jigsaw: The National Centre for Youth Mental Health - Jigsaw.ie 
HSE: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/mental-health/eating-disorders/useful-links/ 
 

Mind games: how scammers hijack your brain

This episode takes a look at how cybercriminals use psychology to manipulate people through online scams. From phishing emails and phone fraud to romance scams, sextortion, and the rise of AI-driven deepfakes, it unpacks why these scams work and why no one is completely immune. Real-world examples illustrate just how convincing scammers can be, and we discuss the emotions, cognitive biases, and principles of persuasion they exploit. The episode also explores practical ways to recognize these tactics and protect yourself, reminding us that victims are never to blame—awareness is the key defense.
 
Resources:
Romance scams
https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/fraud/am-i-a-victim-of-a-romance-scam-.html
Sextortion
https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/sexual-crime/sextortion-advice-if-you-are-a-victim.html
Money muling
https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/organised-serious-crime/garda-national-economic-crime-bureau/money-muling.html 
Cyber Crime – advice on other crimes
https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/cyber-crime/
 
News stories:
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/ireland-red-c-win-phishing-scam-survey#:~:text=The%20Worldwide%20Independent%20Network%20of%20Market%20Research,higher%20than%20the%20global%20average%20of%2034pc.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/04/experience-scammers-used-ai-to-fake-my-daughters-kidnap
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68705913
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/fell-into-a-trap-student-money-mule-to-speak-in-schools-after-smishing-scam-court-case-1806411.html