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Should Addictive Tech Come With a Health Warning?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the nanny-state dept.

holy_calamity writes "Academics researching how technology addiction affects businesses and employees say 'habit-forming' gadgets like Blackberries should be dispensed along with warnings about the effect they can have on your life. 'We don't want to be in a situation in a few years similar to that with fast food or tobacco today. We need to pay attention to how people react to potentially habit-forming technologies.'"

4 of 329 comments (clear)

  1. Absolutely Not by milsoRgen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Any behavior comes with a risk of psychological addiction. To stipulate a health warning on devices is absolutely ludacris.

    --
    I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
    1. Re:Absolutely Not by cuantar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh no! Help us, Nanny State! We need you to save us from our pathetic lack of willpower, responsibility, and maturity!

      --
      Legalize it.
    2. Re:Absolutely Not by lgw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I know! How about we let adults choos for themselves whether to indulge in self-destructive behavior if it makes them happy. We could just decide that freedom was more important than safety. It's a revolutionary idea.

      Or, I dunno, we could arrest and imprison someone for their own safety if they decide not to wear a seatbelt, or a not to wear a motorcycle helmet, or eat to much fast food, or whatever else someone doesn't like today. Think of the children! Freedom is scary, and we'll save a couple bucks on health insurace -- its win-win!

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    3. Re:Absolutely Not by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 5, Insightful

      For most situations I would agree, however with seat belts there is a factor in which your decision effects others around you. If your own decision will kill you and only you (ie motorcycle helmet) then its your choice to take the risk. But if you are in a crash without a seatbelt then you may be thrown out of the car. This presents a danger to others by 1) having another obstacle in the road. You may be thrown into oncoming traffic and cause a secondary collision. 2)losing control of a vehicle that you may have been able to control had you remained in the seat, and thus cause a secondary collision.