iDisorder

January 30, 2012
Psychologist Rosen asserts that the Internet puts people at risk of developing “iDisorders”—a broad array of ills ranging from narcissism to obsessive-compulsive disorder to hyperchondria that, he contends, can be triggered by the overuse of technology. Rosen says he’s not against technology, but concludes that “most people are being slowly pulled toward an obsessive iDisorder.” Though the author presents plenty of anecdotes of shy people who spend a lot of time on social networking sites, narcissists who write and rewrite their social media profiles, or “cyberchondriacs” who scour the Web for evidence of their supposed medical conditions, he doesn’t convincingly show that technology caused any underlying psychological problem. The book is full of data—but many are either obvious or have already been well-publicized: drivers who use handheld cellphones are more likely to get hurt in car crashes; some people sleep with an iPhone by their beds so they can read friends’ status updates upon waking; people seek medical advice online because they don’t want to wait for doctors’ appointments. Unfortunately, Rosen isn’t able to draw on the facts and figures to offer any new insight into how technology might be affecting us.