October, 2016
OK, I admit that I am a social recluse. I spell that “curmudgeon”. I’ve already caught hell for what I’m about to write here, but go ahead and vent because what you say is just a window to your soul.
Lancet Psychiatry has published a study that states that posts to social media offer a chance to diagnose your psychiatric disorder. The study reports that posts to these social media sites are more revealing and accurate than face-to-face encounters in the psychiatrists office. Humm, that is interesting.
So the argument goes that an interactive media in/outlet that was designed so that social geeks could meet up with hot chicks in the college environment, that is based on friending/unfriending on the narcissistic whim of emotion a la 3’d grade and that is the safe haven for every mass murder since it’s inception is probably not the social status badge that the country club membership of the 1960s was. I’ll let you draw your own personal conclusion, but in my humble opinion, the first thing you should do after you log on to social media (if you must log on to begin with) is to log off.
I have to be somewhat fluent in social media because about 2/3s of our suicidal ideation cases brought to the ED for medical clearance before psychiatric admission were found out through their social media account postings. Its an obvious choice, posting a notice to all your friends. Doesn’t Anthony Weiner use a social media account to post pictures of his, uh, weiner?
In the hacker community dark web, the prime targets are social media and public wifi (the heart throb of social media). OK, if you insist, so is e-mail. But honestly, in my defense, e-mail is so old schoo, it is more attractive to Russia, the NSA and FBI hackers than the psychiatric watch dogs of society now days.
Well I’m here to tell you that Becky (the author of the Lancet piece) just skimmed the surface in her study of Facebook attendees. People that use social media by definition , are crazy. Yes I know that everyone I send this to is an avid user of social media. There you go! I don’t need no stinkin studies.
Finally, if not fully, appreciated. Your grumpy Uncle/Brother Dave.
http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanpsy/PIIS2215-0366(16)30041-4.pdf
https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/25/politics/anthony-weiner-sentencing/index.html
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