When Psychiatry Meets the Algorithm: The Art and Science of Practice in the Age of Social Media
What happens when the spaces shaping our minds are no longer just our homes, schools and communities—but also our phones?
This question was at the heart of a stimulating workshop on “The Art and Science of Practice”, jointly organised by MGM College, Vashi and the Indian Psychiatric Society’s Art and Culture Committee. The workshop brought together over 100 delegates, creating an engaging space to explore how contemporary psychiatry sits at the intersection of science, culture, technology and human experience.
One of the sessions explored a particularly relevant—and rapidly evolving—territory: Mental Health and Social Media.
The discussion went beyond the familiar question of whether social media is “good” or “bad” for mental health. Instead, it explored how digital platforms can influence behaviour, emotions, perceptions and even the way psychological phenomena spread through society.
We looked at the phenomenon of TikTok tics and the complex relationship between social media exposure and the manifestation of tic-like behaviours. We explored the Werther effect, where exposure to certain portrayals of suicide can contribute to imitation, alongside the Papageno effect, highlighting how responsible narratives of coping, help-seeking and overcoming suicidal crises may instead have a protective influence.
The discussion also ventured into newer and less intuitive ideas—including the reverse broken-window effect, where repeated exposure to particular behaviours or social norms online may gradually alter our perception of what is acceptable or “normal.”
And then came an increasingly relevant question:
**What happens when grief itself enters the digital world?**
The emergence of grief bots and AI recreations of deceased individuals raises profound psychological, ethical and philosophical questions. Can technology help us maintain a connection with someone we have lost? Could it provide comfort—or interfere with the natural process of mourning? Where does remembrance end and continued psychological attachment begin?
These are no longer purely futuristic questions. They are becoming clinical questions.
The workshop therefore became an opportunity to look at psychiatry not only through the lens of diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, but also through the lens of culture, technology, storytelling and changing human behaviour.
The central message was perhaps simple:
The psychiatrist of today must understand not only the mind—but also the environment in which the mind now lives.
As social media, algorithms and artificial intelligence increasingly shape how people communicate, grieve, seek validation, understand illness and respond to distress, the ability to critically examine these influences is becoming an important part of contemporary psychiatric practice.
The workshop was a valuable reminder that the art of psychiatry evolves alongside the science of psychiatry—and both must continue to engage with the rapidly changing world around us.
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