Are We Addicted To Calling People Addicts?
from the it's-an-epidemic! dept
Can someone please make it stop? Every month or so someone comes out with yet another fear mongering story about how we're all "addicted" to some kind of technology. Last month, it was email. In the past it's been things like web addiction, online porn, video games or the whole internet. Now, textually is pointing out another claim from someone saying that we're all addicted to mobile phones. This is all based on the psychological assessment of an IT instructor who told his students not to use their mobile phones for three days. In his professional opinion, the were "truly afraid." In fact, very few of them made it through the three days without using their phones. QED. They're addicted, says the instructor. Of course, that seems to be a very loose definition of "addiction." What if someone asked him to live outside for three days straight? Didn't do it? He must be addicted to shelter. Can't go naked for three days? Addicted to clothing! How about three days without talking? Nope? He must be addicted to communicating. Oh, the horror of it all! Mobile phones are useful tools that people use because they're helpful to communicate. To call it an "addiction" implies that there's a negative consequence, a la a drug or alcohol addiction. In fact, later on the article the reporter (who never goes looking for anyone to present the other side of the story) finds a psychologist who claims that people look to their phones for "psychological nurturing." A little proof please? Also, according to the same guy, the mobile phone: "takes away a key component of happiness, the pleasure of total absorption of one activity to the exclusion of everything else." First off, who said that was a key component of happiness -- and who said that can't happen when someone has a mobile phone? It's beginning to look like we're just addicted to people claiming we're addicted to things.
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No Subject Given by Unanimous Coward on Jun 8th, 2005 @ 1:20pm
I'm addicted to Techdirt. I have to read it at least every morning.
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Don't even own one. by Me on Jun 8th, 2005 @ 1:46pm
I guess I would have passed the class. I swore these things of ages ago. Chech out SAC, "students against cellphones".
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Re: No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward on Jun 8th, 2005 @ 3:02pm
I got it worse. I check TD at least 4 times a day, sometimes more like 7 if I'm looking for posted comments. Honestly, I don't know how I get any work done at all.
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Hi, I am Ron by Ron on Jun 8th, 2005 @ 11:19pm
and I am addicted to oxygen.
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No Subject Given by thecaptain on Jun 9th, 2005 @ 4:55am
Its just another symptom of our "Its not MY fault" no accountability society fostered by lawyers and bad shrinks.
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No Subject Given by eeyore on Jun 9th, 2005 @ 5:17am
My wife will check her cellphone for messages if she gets up in the middle of the night to take a piss. That's addicted.
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Re: No Subject Given by Unanimous Coward on Jun 9th, 2005 @ 6:10am
That's just wrong.
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No Subject Given by Jean on Jun 9th, 2005 @ 9:27am
How do you organize a therapy group for people addicted to therapy groups?
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Re: Hi, I am Ron by Anonymous Coward on Jul 21st, 2005 @ 8:41pm
I just can't tell you the reaction I had when I read that comment you made. I mean, about as interesting as hearing that you woke up this morning,....period.
How original. Ha ha. I can't tell you because there was none.
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Re: No Subject Given by bradley copley on Feb 4th, 2006 @ 12:21am
i am addicted to porn and i do not know to get out of the stuff. the bad part is that i am a christian and every time i get on the internet i automatically get on to the sites why is that.
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lol by Someone on Nov 21st, 2007 @ 9:57pm
I'm addicted to getting good grades in school..so, what? I should kick it?
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