Are We Addicted To Calling People Addicts?

[Anonymous]

http://techdirt.com/articles/20050608/133216_F.shtml

Are We Addicted To Calling People Addicts?
 
Contributed by Mike on Wednesday, June 8th, 2005

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.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-12-21 08:59:00, Anonymous wrote:
It's beginning to look like we're just addicted to people claiming we're addicted to things. "

I don't know about other countries, but in the
US, I would say we have an addiction to having
opinions, including addiction opinion on all
sorts of topics that need not be.

[Anonymous]

"Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism." -

Carl Jung

[Anonymous]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=addiction

   

addiction

1.

1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
         
2. An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.
   
2.

1. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
         
2. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast car

[Anonymous]

Addiction is an excuse for overindulging. Is it any surprise there are more 'addictions' these days now that we can rationalize the irrational away with one slip of the tongue?

[Anonymous]

On 2005-12-21 10:19:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Addiction is an excuse for overindulging. Is it any surprise there are more 'addictions' these days now that we can rationalize the irrational away with one slip of the tongue? "

I think you got it!

Overindulging is what is commonly known as addiction today.

What needs to be done, perhaps, is a better use of english?

About the idulgances of people?
I am glad it is none of my business  :roll:

[Anonymous]

Isn't the overuse of the word addiction,
just addressing people's preferences?
 
What I observe that if an activity
bothers someone, they lamely slap on
the addiction label.

It would be better if everyone minded
their own business and did their own
thing.

In the US we have too many opinions.

[Antigen]

I agree with this. Stanton Peele expressed some frustration over misinterpretations of his book, Love And Addiction
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... fmiamithem After it came out and was well received publicly, suddenly clueless idiots started establishing SA groups and trying to clinically treat away what they deemed to be "sex addiction".

He said that what he mean was was not that, but the opposite. Not that really, really liking sex is an incurable disease, but that really, really liking drugs, gambling, work or any other pleasurable activity is really not much different from sex and love.

If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be -- a Christian.
--Samuel Clemens "Mark Twain", American author and humorist

[Anonymous]

Americans totally misuse and abuse the word "addiction".  I always laugh when I see these 17 year old kids enter rehab for some "addiction".  I find it particuarly funny when kids claim to be alcoholics.

[Anonymous]

Yep.  :lol:  :lol: Ever been to aon AA/NA meeting back in the day and find a bunch of fifteen year olds saying they were alcies/addicts? lol

[Anonymous]

Yeah, those kids are ridiculous.

I've used (and sometimes misused, or even abused) alcohol and various types of drugs.  That doesn't make me an "addict".

"Addict" is such a strong word.  Someone should tell these kids to get a grip.  See, this is what happens when kids are not educated or miseducated about drugs.

[Anonymous]

I remember hearing one fresh-faced kid proclaim that  before rehab, he had been "killing himself with pot".  I laughed out loud, which got me lotsa dirty looks.