Doctor Claims That Sending Too Many Text Messages Is A Sign Of Mental Problems
from the oh-please dept
Remember the doctor pushing to add internet addiction as an official mental disorder? In a recent journal article, he's now saying that one sign of such a disorder would be people who send lots of text messages. Of course, as MobHappy puts it: "maybe they just like to chat to their friends?" Remember kids, too much communication = mental illness.
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I've known that for years by ChurchHatesTucker on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 7:38am
People who behave differently than I do are crazy.
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real sign of a mental problem by angry dude on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 7:56am
Hm... I always thought that writing techdirt articles is a real sign of a mental problem
Another week, another piece of nonsensical shit from techdirt "writers"
same shit, different day
happy monday, techdirt lemmings
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Re: real sign of a mental problem by Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:09am
Man! It's not even a patent story and a.d. shows his face. angry dude, you are just as much a lemming as everyone else. The lemming that loves to hate.
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Addiction by TKM on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:09am
Well, abusing anything is problematic, i.e. texting ,alcohol, internet, sex, jesus/muhammed, etc., and probably a sign of trouble elsewhere. I think this guy probably has an addiction of his own; abusing his prescription pad.
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by Ima Fish on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:10am
"Remember kids, too much communication = mental illness."
No doctor ever said that too much communication equals a mental illness. In the same way, no doctor ever said that merely drinking too much alcohol equates alcoholism. And, also in the same way, no doctor has ever said that merely cleaning your house too much equals an obsessive/compulsive behavior.
The logical fallacy you are making is called a straw horse. You are changing the doctor's argument to something ridiculous, in order to prove how ridiculous the argument is.
What the doctor said was that someone who obsessively sends text messages in such a way that their life is being negatively impacted, could be an indication of a disease.
The vast majority of people who drink alcohol are not alcoholics. The vast majority of people who clean their houses are not obsessive/compulsive. And in the same way, the vast majority of people who send text messages do not suffer from a disease. But that fact does not mean that no one suffers from such a disease.
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Re: real sign of a mental problem by PaulT on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:11am
Mental issue: writing techdirt articles.
Sign of serious psychosis: obsessively responding to techdirt articles while claiming everyone who does so is stupid.
Seriously though with regard to the article: as ever, each case is different. A person who sends large numbers of text messages in order to keep in touch with a lot of friends or to organise social gatherings is very different to the person who does so to avoid speaking to people in person. The person who sends texts to their spouse at work during the day is different to the one who sends them to their spouse in the next room. You can't generalise this stuff, nor should you.
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Re: Aim Fish by Evil Mike on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:21am
Are you aware you just combined a straw-man argument with a tautology? I, for one, am impressed. That was a very eloquent way to subdue one's opponent with an imaginary weapon. Bravo.
"...in such a way that their life is being negatively impacted, could be an indication of a disease. "
Anything done to the point of negatively impacting one's life could be an indication of "[insert something bad here]."
Fucking duh.
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Re: real sign of a mental problem by Jason on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:35am
Dear Angry Dude,
If you don't like the site, you don't have to read it. That's the beauty of free speech on the internet. If you disagree with Techdirt's content, that's fine. If you want to contribute to make the site better, I'm all for that. But there is no need for name calling and forum trolling, especially in a community like Techdirt that debate topics in an intelligent and informed manner. There is no place for a "troll" in a community like this. Please, if you have nothing constructive to contribute, stop posting, especially the insulting comments.
Thanks
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Re: by Chronno S. Trigger on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:39am
Mike is actually referring to his belief that one should get to the root of a problem before declaring what the problem is.
I'll use my "addiction" to Mt Dew as an example. I am not, nor can I be, truly addicted to Mt Dew. I can be, and am, addicted to the caffeine in the drink. The addiction to Mt Dew is just the mental component. I can't drink a Pepsi and get the same feeling of relief (mental withdrawal), but it douse get rid of the headaches (physical withdrawal). This is why my, and a lot of other people's, addiction has been called caffeine addiction.
One cannot be addicted to the act of SMS-ing but one can be addicted to the chemical reaction caused by that act. Let us call it what it truly is.
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Seeking after signs by DrToddM on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:42am
Perhaps you can write an article featuring myself when I posit that the obsessive, self-aggrandizing quest to define new syndromes and mental illnesses by otherwise anonymous and undistinguished medical professionals is - IN ITSELF - a sign of mental illness... ;-)
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SMS? by Anonymous frog bastard on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:55am
I thought text messaging involved mobile phones and had nothing to do with the Internet. But I'm no doctor.
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Symptom of illness by Reality Check on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 8:56am
I would like to actually take this thread to a higher level of intellect, and instead of respond to some of the more idiotic posts here, reply to some of the more intellectual and salient ones...
Truth be told, obsessive texting may be a problem. However, it is not likely to be a problem in of itself, rather a symptom of a larger problem.
So yes, obsessive texting, which results in isolation, loss of job, friends, and family, etc etc is a problem and may be classified as mental illness.
However, agai, it is not likely to be an illness itself, rather a symptom of a larger problem.
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by Jared on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 9:02am
In the end its all the same mental illness... addiction. Do we really need to act like we have discovered something new?
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Everything new and different... by BlowURmindBowel on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 9:41am
Everything new and different is actually really bad for you and will eventually make you crazy...
I'm addicted to solving hardware problems in computers at this office I go to, I do it for 8hrs a day 5 days a week. Wait I forgot, they pay me to do that... Nevermind.
(sorry I'm really not serious please don't waste your time pointing out the error of my logic, I am already well aware!)
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by Sea Man on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 9:50am
I can confirm this, and I present my girlfriend as evidence.
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by BlowURmindBowel on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 10:36am
I can also confirm this, and I present Sea Man's girlfriend as evidence.
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Re: Re: real sign of a mental problem by LarryB on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 11:10am
Am I the only one that is becoming numb to these types of comments? However noble you may think your comment is (and I don't disagree with you at all), you're doing nothing to add to the discussion. People will read the first sentence and scroll right on by after that. The only way to get people to behave properly is to force them into it and obviously that never goes over well.
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I'm confused... by TheDock22 on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 11:47am
How can someone txt message too much? I have never heard of anyone losing their job or having problems in their life due to txt messaging. In the end, you are interacting with another person in just a different form of communication.
I mean, I send about 500-900 txt messages a month, but that is because 90% of my friends use txt messaging to keep in touch and it is easier than calling and leaving a voicemail (getting your voicemails can be a pain). It doesn't interfere with my life though.
I could see Internet addiction simply because it does isolate you from people and can cause major trouble in life. Isn't that what makes an addiction? Something that you must have to fill your own obsessions which ends up severing ties to friends and family? I just don't see how txting friends and family could cause isolation by any means.
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Addiction by CultureArtist on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 11:47am
There are three components to addiction: 1. Withdrawal; 2. Tolerance; 3. Loss of control.
Examples would be:
Withdrawal: if you feel antsy or anxious when you can't send text messages...
Tolerance: You find yourself sending more and more text messages
Loss of control: Your obsession with sending messages has had a significant impact on your school, work, or social life (for example, getting fired for playing on the Internet; getting dropped from a class because you can't stop texting long enough to pay attention; forgetting a date because you were too busy surfing the 'Net)
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always provide a link to the article you are talki by always provide a link to the article you are talki on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 11:48am
always provide a link to the article you are talking about
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Re: Re: Re: real sign of a mental problem by Pedant on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 11:48am
tl;dr
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Nice... by Oninous on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:30pm
I appreciate the light the OP wrote the article in and see his last statement about communication as what it is, a joke. That comment says it all and I agree! I think this doctor is trying to trailblaze into a field that he has to literally define himself and someof us out here think it's completely rediculous. On the otherhand, if he finds merit in his assesments... Really, I think he is looking for too much in too little but I will say we will have to wait and see if his persistance drums him out of respect for his work and straight into being 45 and living in his parent's basement.
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10,000 a month by Troy on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 12:51pm
Between sending and receiving, my phone needs to go to a mental institution for electronic equipment, because it goes through 10,000 text messages a month, I am merely the pilot. Just another way computers are taking over the world.
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Has anyone actually read the article? by Dr.Dr. on Mar 31st, 2008 @ 4:25pm
Just a thought...has anyone actually read the original editorial article in the American Journal of Psychiatry?
I have, seeing as this is the field I work in).
Dr. Block is not calling for text messaging to be considered a mental illness. He clearly states that this is but one component to a larger illness, an obsessive-impulsive spectrum disorder...I think some people have already claimed (correctly) that it is not an illness but a symptom.
Maybe we should just stick with the simple tech related things, since medical and health issues are way too complex for the bulk of those who post here.
Before commenting on something you people have absolutely no knowledge of, try reading the original articles that are cited in the blog posts....you might be enlightened by something.
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In agreement by Nate Nead on Apr 10th, 2008 @ 12:32am
This is so true! I was doing some research on SMS for a class project and handed out surveys to several hundred people. Some of the people were claiming to get 4000 inbound and 4000 outbound messages a month. I calculated it out: that's about one every 3 minutes of your waking life. Seriously, get a life.
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taxt messages by katy on Apr 10th, 2008 @ 1:53pm
I think you section about text messages and mental illnesses is stupid and immature!!!! GET WITH TECHNOLOGY, LAME-O!!!!!!!!!
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Re: real sign of a mental problem by KT QT on Apr 10th, 2008 @ 1:56pm
I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO agree with you! the stuff these people r sayin SUX SHIT!
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stuff by PERSON LOVER on Apr 10th, 2008 @ 1:57pm
I NEED A FRIEND!!!!!!! SOME1 TALK 2 ME!!!!!!!
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Obsessive texting by Coolcat on Apr 17th, 2008 @ 3:33pm
my ex-husband at one point texted his (non) girlfriend (ie she lived in another country and had a boyfriend) EIGHTY-THREE times in one day. Should probably be grateful he's my ex....
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by jkadffgsak on Jun 14th, 2008 @ 11:29am
this is gay,
and a waste of my life.
kbye .
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