154 lines
8.6 KiB
Plaintext
154 lines
8.6 KiB
Plaintext
From woolard@uns-helios.nevada.edu Tue Aug 14 13:16:32 1990
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From: woolard@uns-helios.nevada.edu (MIKE WOOLARD)
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Subject: Computer Mania---- A MENTAL DISORDER?!??!?!?!???? :^(
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MICROCOMPUTER MANIA--A New Mental Disorder????
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By Steven Starker, PH.D.
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The american psychiatric association recently updated its
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listing of diagnostic categories with the intention that every
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form of mental and emotional illness be described. In the short
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time since its revision and publication, however, a new form of
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insanity has appeared in this country that threatens to reach
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epidemic proportions in a few years. It is therefore necessary
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to propose an addendum to the official A.P.A. diagnostic
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categories, namely, a disease entity that I call "MICROCOMPUTER
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MANIA." the onset, symptomatology, and typical progress are
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presented here as a first step toward coping with this insidious
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threat to the contemporary psyche.
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AGE OF ONSET: The illness can strike at almost any age but
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seems especially prevalent among adults ages 18 to 50. There
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have been occasional case reports of very early onset (ages 5 or
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6), however, and outbreaks among teenagers are not uncommon.
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EARLY INDICATIONS: There are a few early warning signs by
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which a concerned family member or health professional may
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recognize the incipient stage of the illness.
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COMPULSIVE MAGAZINE BUYING: The unfortunate individual experiences
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an irresistible urge to buy magazines, spends hours poring over
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them, and rapidly amasses a huge collection. Each issue has
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something to do with computers, ranging from the "hard-core"
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computer technology magazines through "soft-core" electronics
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publications. At the extreme, any magazine bearing a picture of a
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computer terminal on its cover or the word computer in one of its
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articles is immediately acquired.
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CRUISING: There is a profound compulsion to locate and repeatedly
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visit every available store selling microcomputer equipment. these
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"cruisers" become well known to shop owners and sales people, some
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of whom are unscrupulous enough to prey on them by attempting to
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sell them all manner of computer goods. At the extreme are those
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individuals who will even cruise electronics supply stores or
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stereo shops in order to be near some integrated circuit chips.
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(particularly bad cases may be found loitering about electronic
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cash registers, typewriters, and computerized banking machines.)
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DDTERIORATION OF VOCABULARY: Peculiar verbalizations begin to
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compete with normal, healthy speech. Words having oral
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connotations, such as "apple", "byte", and "nibble", are uttered
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along with more obvious gibberish like "DOS, ROM, RAM." The
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individual seems little involved in social conversation unti l the
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topic of microcomputers is mentioned,whereupon an intense, exicted
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state of consciousness is elicited along with a rapid flow of
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peculiar verbalizations.
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CRISIS: Thus far we have identified the three warning signs
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that alert us to incipient microcomputer mania. The crisis that
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may follow is even more dramatic.
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EXTREME RATIONALIZATION: An elaborate series of
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rationalizations develops around a common theme -- the absolute
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necessity of owning a microcomputer. Unlike schizophrenic
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hallucinations, these ideas are not perceived as "voices" or
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intrusive commands, but are experiences as truly logical thought.
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Rationalizations commonly revolve around notions of self-
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improvement, education, and efficiency. Content is relatively
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unimportant to the diagnosis, however, as the victims of the
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disorder may be endlessly creative in their rationalizations. The
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key issue is the "absolute rightness" of owning a computer.
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EXCITED SPENDING: This is the "manic" phase of the disorder
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in which all self-control is abandoned and large sums of money
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are spent on all manner of microcomputer equipment. A previously
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competent, rational individual may withdraw thousands of dollars
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from savings to purchase a vast array of "hardware" and "software"
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THE SYNDROME: Following the acute manic phase, the full
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syndrome becomes manifest.
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SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL: As with most serious forms of mental
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disturbance, the individual becomes increasingly withdrawn,
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losing interest in work, food, sex, family, and so forth. He or
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she may be found in a fixed (or frozen) position before the
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computer monitor at any time of the day or night. The catatonic-
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like pose is broken only by occasional rapid-finger movements
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(RFM) over the microcomputer keyboard. persistent RFM may,in fact,
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be the only signs of consciousness except for occasional grunts of
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satisfaction or groan of frustration.
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SLEEP DISTURBANCE: The individual is increasingly unwilling
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and unable to go the bed, preferring to remain in position at the
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computer. In milder cases, victims are eventually led away from
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their computer s by a concerned family member; in more severe
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cases the individual is commonly found slumped in a chair the
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following morning with the computer equipment still running. Even
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when asleep, RFM may still be noted by the careful observer.
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PHYSICAL DETERIORATION: First to appear are strains of the
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musculature, particularly the neck and lower back. Eyestrain is
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common, along with a hollow vacant look. Lack of sufficient food,
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exercise, and sleep all interact, contributing to the general
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deterioration.
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MARITAL DIFFICULTIES: Withdrawal into the world of
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microcomputers inevitably leads to a decrement in communications
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among family members. This problem is rarely noticed by the
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victim of the disorder, but is bitterly described by the
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unafflicted spouse. In families where both husband and wife are
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afflicted, vicious fights over access to computer time are not
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uncommon. When the children are additionally infected, the
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situation becomes completely unmanageable and leads to regressions
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to the manic phase (that is, further microcomputer purchases "for
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the kids").
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SYSTEMIC PROGRESSION: Not too long after onset of the illness
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the individual experiences an irresistible need for additional, or
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peripheral devices (printer, disk drive, and so forth) in order to
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expand into a full microcomputer system. Huge sums of money are
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periodically spent in efforts to satisfy this need. no more than
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two months after any particular purchase however, a subsequent
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acquisition begins to appear essential.
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SEPARATION ANXIETY: The individual experiences a growing
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dread of being separated from the microcomputer. He or she may
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attempt to install a system at work to complement one at home
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(or vice versa). When persuaded by family members to take a
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vacation, the victim packs the computer first. At the extreme,
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individuals have been known to purchase pocket-siz e portable
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microcomputers and to carry them around at all times.
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ETIOLOGY: To date, little is known about the causes of
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microcomputer mania. observations show it to be highly contagious,
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leading some medical investigators to speculate that a new strain
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of virus is involved. Others have suggested some genetic defect.
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Still others believe that a virile agent interacting with an
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existing genetic predisposition provides the best explanation.
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Experimental psychologist are attempting to explain the disorder
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in terms of learned behavior patterns, while psychoanalysts are
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speaking of early psychos dual fixations.
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TREATMENT: No effective treatment has been found. It is
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particulary unfortunate that many of the scientists needed to
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research this disorder have themselves fallen victim to it.
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Clearly, there is an urgent need for more research into this
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major public health problem.
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Mike Woolard
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woolard@uns-helios.nevada.edu
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