Review of Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age

[Ajay Pratap Singh Tomar]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age" by Elliott B. Martin, Jr..]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Reconcep­tu­al­iz­ing Men­tal Ill­ness in the Dig­ital Age, by Elliott B. Mar­tin, Jr., covers an up-to-date subject in an in-depth way. It walks the readers through the development of the ideas of men­tal health, the history, contemporary prob­lems in men­tal health, and social media. What makes the book well-informed is the interrelationship between the topics analyzed in a psychiatric and an ancient languages background into a polyhistoric approach with broad scope.

As far as its weak points are concerned, this book is well researched. These concepts can be extended to include anxiety and depression in association with the overuse of digital technology. In these days, where technology encompasses everyone, more attention should be given to the analysis of social networks as a cause of inferiority and the formation of isolation. At the same time, the context of history and philosophy he offered helps in visualizing the problem in detail, the problem of social understanding of mental health problems in the age of technologically dominating hyperconnectivity.

But certainly, the book is not so perfectionist. It is clear that such information is beneficial, but the problem is that Martin’s style of writing is just too much. Words are big, and there are too many in one sentence in the construct of excessive use of complex vocabulary.

People who are not familiar with psychiatric terminology or philosophic terms may have a hard time maintaining attention. The paragraph's structure feels disjointed from time to time, interposed with long digressions that break the flow of the narrative, hindering the overall readability. On the other hand, the editor's performance was faultless. There were neither grammatical nor typographical mistakes that I could detect, which adds more professionalism to the work.

Thia book is one I wanted to praise yet also wish it was easier to get into. The writer’s dense style of prose may make the book very unattractive for the wider readers, who might not be psychology or philosophy students. This is because of its difficulty—I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. Although the book gives good observations of people's mental health in the digital era, a more direct approach by the writer would have made it even more powerful.

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Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
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[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

Yes, the reviewer had a point that the prose was wordy and heavy, this might deter people who are looking for a light read. This said, there are many mental problems caused by the digital age, and I’m glad they are being addressed, and an in depth look at them might need this verbose language.

[Brittney Raymer]

Wonderful review! This really prepared me for reading this book! While it was honest, it definitely didn't deter me from still wanting to give it a read, since the topic is so very interesting to me! Back in college, I was a Psych major, though I did not finish the program, as I came to understand that I didn't think I was meant to get inside of people's heads. I did not think I really wanted to peel back those layers! Haha. The topic of mental health is so important to me. I always love to understand more. Thanks so much for the information!

~ Brittney

[Jane Gaskins]

I enjoyed your review and agreed one hundred percent. This is an important book, but it is easy to get lost in the context. There are many interesting points made and the effects of digital media 24 hours a day is sometimes detrimental.

[Brienna Cooper]

Nice review! As someone who continually tries to improve at managing their mental health, I appreciate a book like this talking about a root cause of many struggles. However, I can understand the heavy prose being too “textbook” for a casual reader. Perhaps, that could be fixed in some sort of revised version? Never say never.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Reconcep­tu­al­iz­ing Men­tal Ill­ness in the Dig­ital Age by Elliott B. Martin Jr. delivers an insightful exploration of mental health in today's tech-driven world. With a unique blend of psychiatric analysis and historical context, the book expertly connects mental health issues to the overuse of digital technology. Congratulations on being BOTD!

[Prince Nuertey]

Yes, the reviewer had a point that the prose was wordy and heavy, this might deter people who are looking for a light read. This said, there are many mental problems caused by the digital age, and I’m glad they are being addressed, and an in depth look at them might need this verbose language.

[Aaron Makasare]

I loved your review and also agree with it with 110% of assurance. the book which speaks about mental health are very important in today's generation I kind of agree that the book is for only philisophy and psychology students but still I loved your review.

[Mona Alves]

Interesting review, tho, I must say, I would the phrasing in it a bit difficult to read. Mental health is a very important topic, so exploring it and it's causes is a very important goal. The more techinal writing does seem to pose a challenge.

[Daisy Green]

It was a nice review!
As it easily describe the book, sometimes it's hard to understand the actual context or a msg a author has to convey to the audience if the writing has too complex vocabulary. Specially like me. I am new to this field and still studying how it works.
The book has address the digital use and mental problems associated with it. It helps to understand how to use digital without digital using you.

[Leen282]

There surely is a strong influence of social media and digital content on mental health. It's a pity the writing style is not easy to follow, since the use of big words and complex vocabulary will stop people from reading and finding out the message in the book.

[Magdalyne chebet]

This detailed review provides an insightful overview of Elliott B. Martin, Jr.'s "Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age," a comprehensive analysis of mental health, history, and social media. The book explores the impact of technology on mental health, framed in a psychiatric and philosophical context. The book thoughtfully examines the challenges posed by social media on anxiety, depression, and isolation. Congratulations on being BOTD!

[Cosmina Corodeanu]

Your review is interesting, to bad that the author uses terms that are hard to understand because it sounds like a book that should be read especially by parents.

[Nerea]

A well-researched book that covers the topic of mental health is worth the time to read. However, the reviewer pointed out that the terms used are a bit complex making the book a difficult-read. Despite that fact, I'll check it out. Congratulations on being the BOTD.

[Emmanuel Adekunle 2]

The point is that specific books should be recommended for specific disciplines to enhance rapid problem solving.

This book actually reveals how that social media and the use of technology has damaged many people.

I'll say, for those in psychology, psychiatric, medical rehabilitation field, this book is very relevant for their use.

If I were a psychologist and someone on my table is depressed, before thinking too far, I can easily decipher such person's cause of depression if I had read this book.
It's actually not very easy to understand for a layman but it's very insightful.