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Addicted to Information?

Posted by michael on from the metafilter dept.

SiMac writes "According to this New York Times article, two Harvard faculty members say that information causes a "dopamine squirt" in humans, a rush similar to that given by narcotics. Just as narcotics are addictive, information is as well. They've given the disorder of information addiction the name 'pseudo-ADD' because it tends to cause somewhat ADD-like symptoms."

6 of 429 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting, but some methodological holes by Rhovanion · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This article essentially states that 'being connected' is distracting and shortens attention spans, and that it's also pleasurable. So far so good- but putting a new medical label on it seems akin to creating a 'eating cookies is pleasurable disorder' or 'loud sounds and flashing lights harm one's ability to focus disorder'. It's common sense. Medical science nowadays gets excited when they reinvent the wheel.

    1. Re:Interesting, but some methodological holes by Surak · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah, but the parent poster's point is that of science trying to make a disorder out of everything.

      From time-to-time I crave White Castle cheesburgers. At some point, I wouldn't be surprised if they came out with a study that says that certain ingredients in White Castle cheesburgers cause enhanced dopamine levels in the brain (heh. heh.) and that those hit with "The Crave" suffer from a new White Castle Cheesburgers Are Yummy Syndrome.

      I mean its ridiculous. Just because someone craves information it doesn't mean that they have disorder. Maybe, just maybe, they're naturally curious. No, that couldn't be it! They must be sick! We can treat them with Ritalin or something! Yeah!

      Please.

      --
      My journal has hot /. gossip.
    2. Re:Interesting, but some methodological holes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah, but the parent poster's point is that of science trying to make a disorder out of everything.

      From time-to-time I crave White Castle cheesburgers. ...

      If your craving for White Castle burgers was serious enough to disrupt your work, social life, and/or sleep patterns, then arguably it could qualify as a disorder.

      The article seems to try to make the point that in some people the craving for information is serious enough that interferes with their work and social life, that could qualify it as a psychological disorder.

      But yes, on a scale of disorders, it's not in the same league as manic depression, schizophrenia, or anything like that.

  2. Ashcroft will love that one by Eloquence · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just wait until information is added to the list of forbidden substances, and included in the War on Drugs.

  3. But where's the research? by thinmac · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The article doesn't say you get a shot of dopamine when you connect, it just quotes some psycologist saying it's *like* a dopamine squirt. Nowhere do they site research backing up that claim.

    The whole article is really just a set of case studies of people who do many things at once all the time, and who find that makes them unhappy for one reason or another. Throw in a few off the cuff, baseless statements by shrinks, and the NYT has made a roll-your-own disorder: pseudo-ADD. It's not even it's own disorder, just a fake version of another hotly debated syndrome.

    When I see real scientific data showing that A) there is an actual neurochemical response to data that can lead to addiction, B) that this addiction can and has happened in real people, and C) that it has caused these people's quality of life to be reduced, I'll believe it's a disorder. Right now, though, all we've got is some unhappy businessmen and a few shrinks looking to make a name for themselves.

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    Narrative
  4. Re:I ask you THIS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Presuming you're asking "Why do I hate school?":

    It's because the information isn't coming at the rate you'd like, and you feel like you're wasting your time doing B.S. tasks (exams, papers, projects, etc.) which really mean nothing in a 'real world' context.

    Sure, it sucks. I barely scraped by myself, but I kept at it because it's the only game in town and I knew that if I dropped out I'd be stuck flipping burgers for the rest of my life.

    Hang in there. Once you're done, you can learn things at a rate you can only dream of now.