So I took a few free online psychology tests today (out of sheer internet boredom, and looking for something to blog about) and apparently I have every mental disease under the sun, and just to solidify, I made Husband take some of them and he doesn't have any- this result I disagree with though, because if I really am "moderately" suffering from all of them, then Husband has to be more messed up in the head to marry someone like me, right? ha ha.
Regardless, I have a feeling he is going to use these little tests against me in the future. I can hear it now...
"Husband, please take out the trash, this is the millionth time I have asked you and you said you would." -Me
"Are you sure you just didn't hear me saying that in your head, Amber? Because I don't recall ever saying that and you know what the tests said..." - Husband
Although I am a huge proponent of the Web-MD culture, I can't help but think how many of us have become pseudo-hypochondriacs in the process of frequenting such websites. I can't tell you how many times I have googled a bump on my foot to a chest pain and each time been told my situation was potential fatal and should contact a medical physician immediately, only to find out later it was a calcium deposit and muscular tightening (as normal as they get). It seems they are almost as reliable as the college student health centers who insist that the source of your problem/aches/pains/wounds are pregnancy, no matter your sex or the fact that you have a pencil sticking through your hands and bleeding profusely- it's always pregnancy.
But I guess that wouldn't be the best example, because after Student Health told me that one time (and I assured them, it was impossible), my mother did some WEB MDing of her own and figured out it was protein deficiency (I had given it up for lent, forgot to continue to take the vitamins after coming home from a trip, and got super sick- including hair loss). Three giant hamburgers later and I was feeling better already! Thanks Ma!
The same goes for psych tests and personality tests- just by taking a simple 10 question test online, we can prove our insanity! prove our saneness! prove that we are just like everyone else or prove we are unique! prove we are smarter, or cooler, or whatever... The point is, the internet let's people be whatever they want to be- whether through secret chat room discussions claiming you are a 30 year old good-looking, highly paid business exec, or meeting other Avatars (whatever those are) with similar interests, or just googling anything and everything you want to know about and claiming expertise around the office water cooler- the possibilities are endless...
Like me, for instance, because of google, I am now an expert on Mark Helprin, giraffes, Mitt Romney, cool reference books, and things to google. Maybe next, I will let the internet make me an expert on mental instabilities and deadly diseases.





Love the Posting!
ReplyDeleteI was in a rush when I posted that response! I agree, I end up with every disease I research! I am definitely dying and a mental case! That is why I don't take the psychology quizzes - I might begin to believe them!
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