The capacity to be alone in the presence of media devices

Abstract

The starting point for this qualitative thesis is Winnicott's paper on our capacity to be alone (1958), extending the ideas presented, to examine our capacity to be alone in the presence of our media devices. This is a cross discipline, psychosocial-psychoanalytic study that uses the bricolage method with equal valuing of the participant narratives and meanings and the researcher's observations and reflections. I have used a free-association psychoanalytic supervisory process to analyse and interpret the data. The analysis process yielded interpretations of the unconscious dynamics that emerged in the self-narratives and researcher reflections. The analysis findings highlighted aspects of affect management when experiencing feelings of loss, separation, and discomfort, significantly contributing to how we understand an individual's unconscious wishes, impulses, aims, and drives of which the self is not aware. The thesis extends the understanding of how we use our media devices to manage feelings of discomfort when encountering aloneness, anxiety, and boredom to incorporate the psychoanalytic notions of the transitional and surviving objects. This specifically draws on Winnicott's work on infantile aggression, initially expressed between mother and baby and potentially re-emerging in the countertransference dynamics as we engage with our media devices. The individual's experience of environmental failure and maturational development is discussed in relation to their use of media devices, reflecting their organising principles and object use in adulthood.

Date of Award	2 Jan 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Roehampton
Supervisor	Yuwei Lin (Director of Studies) & Helena Hammond (Co-Supervisor)