Review of Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age

[Patrícia Gomes]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age" by Elliott B. Martin, Jr..]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Living in the 21st century is not an easy task. All this technology and evolution should reflect practicality, well-being, and overall enjoyment of life. Unfortunately, even though some of the best discoveries in the world are technological due to their correlation with medicine, labor, the economy, and science, the truth is that not every single aspect of technology can be qualified as a positive outcome.

Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age by Elliot B. Martin, Jr. translates precisely one of the worst consequences of technological evolution: the downgrading of mental health. Mental illness is not a new disease, but it is most certainly the most dangerous disease of the century, and social media and other sources are for sure the triggers for these sorts of consequences. The author, a psychiatrist, wrote this book with the intent of showcasing the nefarious consequences of the digital age, not only by explaining how we, as human beings, got to this point but also how we are so affected by what we see, hear, or learn online. However, the main question that shadows this book is if modern medicine is modern enough to cure, help, or even understand this disease and why it leads so many people to lose their lives.

What I loved the most about this book is how critical the author is regarding this subject. The truth is that our current psychiatric or psychological treatments are outdated and aren’t enough to combat mental illness as we currently know it. The author does an excellent job of enhancing the dangers of social media, technology dependence, fake news, fake bodies, and fake lifestyles as triggers to our mental health, especially regarding younger generations who never knew a different reality. The critical approach is very refreshing in a world where we all know what is bad for us and choose to ignore it. To have a psychiatrist tell us what is causing our diseases and that they, as doctors, haven't evolved enough to help us treat these illnesses is a breath of fresh air.

Also, I have to applaud the impeccable writing and editing of the book. The editing is flawless, and the writing is both complex and easy to understand, making this a book worthy of 5 out of 5 stars for me without a single downside to point out.

With that being said, I would highly recommend this book to everyone interested in and not triggered by topics related to mental health and its vulnerabilities, as it presents a very raw but elucidating read.

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Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
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[Kibet Hillary]

Certainly, it is funny how despite many of us knowing what is bad for us, we continue to, often, intentionally choose them. Technology as well with its many advantages has also come with a myriad of challenges, and mental health is one of the areas that has been affected the most. I look forward to learning more.
Many thanks for the review.