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Further to my recent submission
to the DSM-IV, the world’s recognised handbook of major psychiatric illnesses, of a series of podcast-induced psychiatric conditions, research reaches me from colleagues of yet further discoveries.
Professor Sallie Goetsch has found evidence of a deeply disturbing phenomenon she has nicknamed, “Earbud Isolation”.
With the more formal title of ‘Podcast Solipsism’, Professor Goetsch has uncovered yet more proof of the potentially life-threatening spread of podcast-related diseases.
Noticing that sufferers of this ravaging disease can be found with earbuds in place during shopping trips, errand running and even Parent Teacher exchanges, Professor Goetsch serves us timely warning that a new breed of podcast listener may actually believe that the people they listen to on podcasts, such as Dawn and Drew, Adam Curry and Hobson and Holtz, are real people, not superb actors reading carefully crafted scripts.
This new world of podcasts is a dangerous place - be careful out there, and when ever concern strikes, see a qualified medical expert, like your local family doctor. Or me.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Laura 09.12.05 at 11:48 pm
First, congrats on the new look. Spiffy!
I’ve actually seen signs of solipsism in unlikely places….in the office, where professionals in their 30’s are so plugged in, they won’t answer their ringing phones! And on the sidewalk, a 60-something, white-haired lady was so “into” her iPod, she nearly knocked me over as she hummed tunelessly while power walking.
Let’s be careful out there, people.
donna papacosta 09.13.05 at 12:43 am
At first, I was perplexed at my 17-yr-old daughter bouncing around the house with her iPod growing out of her ears. It can be disconcerting when I’m talking to her and she is “ignoring” me. Then she pulls the buds out of her head and says, “WHAT???” On the other hand, I no longer have to listen to Green Day at 1,000 decibels while she does her calculus homework. Mixed blessing, eh?
Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with "sketch") 09.20.05 at 12:25 pm
With cases of Podcast Solipsism springing up everywhere and a recent bad case of Podcast Withdrawal when For Immediate Release 69 refused to download properly this morning, I think we may need more than an update to the DSM-IV. It’s time to open a Podcast Asylum. Sufferers of Podcast-related syndromes could smoke their podcast dope without imperiling innocent bystanders.
But what do we do about the even more serious condition I’ve been discovering among business owners and professionals, even here in California where we have the highest podcast population density in the world? I’m talking about Podcast Ignorance: a blank, glazed look in response to the very mention of the word “podcast.”