Some of us change phone every 2 or less months. My question
about that routine is always been; is that really necessary? What are we doing
with our technology? It changes rapidly in that some of us have lost interest
in keeping up with it. FYI, there was a well-functioning world and other
systems before technology; although we are faced with dilemmas today when one
piece of tech does not function for a few hours. It turns out that I was not
the only one questioning our obsessiveness with technology. Larry D. Rosen, a
California psychologist, is less concerned with techno-boorishness than with
the very real possibility that all these new personal gadgets may be making
some of us mentally ill especially those who are prone to narcissism, or to
depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. He wrote a book, “iDisorder” on
how we use tech and how obsessed we are with it. A major strength of
“iDisorder” is Dr. Rosen’s clear-eyed view of technology and its uses. He
doesn’t oppose it. His view is the opposite. What we need, he says, is a sense
of restorative balance and self-awareness. It is unavoidable that many of us
will fall prey to an iDisorder, he says, but “it is not fatal and we are not
doomed to spend time in a mental institution or a rehab center.” By using a few
simple strategies, he says, “we can safely emerge from our TechnoCocoons and
rejoin the world of the healthy.”
AT the end of each chapter, Dr. Rosen details a list of
things that can be done to combat each techno-disorder. One often-suggested
solution is to take a “tech break.” In other words, if overusing your iPador
iPhone is making you crazy, maybe you should stop using it so much. For those
combating some form of techno-addiction, Dr. Rosen advises regularly stepping
away from the computer for a few minutes and connecting with nature; just
standing in your driveway and staring at the bushes, research shows, has a way
of resetting our brains