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stories filed under: "psychiatrists"
Overhype

Overhype

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
delusions, jim carey, psychiatrists, truman show



Delusions Of Being Jim Carey In The Truman Show

from the reality-tv-all-the-time dept

Pop culture influences different people in different ways. In fact, some psychologists psychiatrists are trying to claim that there's a new delusion out there based on the Jim Carey movie, The Truman Show. Yes, apparently (these psychiatrists claim) an increasing number of people are under the impression that their whole lives are being filmed secretly, and everyone they know and interact with is playing off a script. They psychiatrists are calling this "The Truman Show Delusion." Others claim this isn't really any different than other types of delusions, but that the Truman Show angle has just helped crystallize the scenario in some people's minds. Others point out that other movies have had similar effects, with one noting that he has a patient who believes that he's in The Matrix as well. Of course, by calling it the Truman Show Delusion, you run into the possibility (as happens all too often) that people will start blaming a pop culture movie. This is what happens with all those various technology "addictions." Next thing you know, we'll have people trying to ban The Truman Show from being shown. Yes, that's an extreme case (that won't likely happen), but it's no different than the overreaction people have in calling for things like having video games declared an official addiction. It focuses the attention on the wrong thing: the pop culture phenomenon, rather than the actual problems the individual might have that resulted in the problem.

40 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
Overhype

Overhype

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
addiction, internet addiction, psychiatrists



Some Psychiatrists Addicted To Prescribing Internet Addiction

from the must-be-good-for-business dept

Over the past few years, we've seen so many "calls" to label the use of certain technologies as "addictions" that we've noticed something of a... well... addiction by some to call for new technology addictions. Among the long, long list of possible addictions has been email addiction, web addiction, online porn addiction, video game addiction, internet addiction, and mobile phones or other gadget addictions. Almost every time, the call for addiction comes from a psychologist or psychiatrist trying to build up a reputation for treating such "addictions." It must be good for business (and perhaps a lot less harrowing than treating some other types of addictions).

So it shouldn't come as any surprise to see a psychiatrist now calling for internet addiction to become an officially classified addiction in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (basically the official rulebook for such things). Of course, there are a few problems, including the fact that research has shown little evidence that the internet is really addictive, and almost every story of internet addiction really tends to be about deeper issues that resulted in someone seeking an outlet on the internet (from depression, bad family situations, alcoholism, etc.). Focusing on the "internet" part tends to have people trying to treat a symptom, not the disease. Hopefully, this new push will follow the same path as the one last year to have video games declared an addiction too. It didn't take long for that idea to get shot down.

31 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
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