Horrors! Why, if people's reading attention spans get shorter, no one will read those godawful long angsty narcissistic English literature novels. Whatever will we do? (gasp)

Whoops. Perhaps I need to dial the sarcasm back a bit ...

Gawd. Take some Ritalin, for crying out loud.

As someone who has A.D.H.D. and took Ritalin till I was 18 years old, I think that comment was a bit uncalled for. A.D.H.D. is a real disability and I've lived through the hell of it, yes, I did quit school, because my math skills are horrible, because of it.

So, while I think your observations about the article are correct, your quip was uncalled for. You owe me and every other A.D.H.D. and A.D.D. sufferer an apology.

-Chuck Adkins
Owner
Political Byline

Except that I, also, have attention-span problems for which I take Ritalin.

And I also quit school--several times. And math is the area in which my inability to concentrate hit me the hardest.

But I still think it's a bit rich for the Atlantic writer to blame the internet (or Google as emblematic of same) for his unwillingness to read a book or even a longer article, since we've established that he's a writer and he used to read plenty of books and articles. That's just silly.

For the record, I'll specify that typing changes the way I write, but in the opposite fashion from what the article suggested: because it's faster, it's a more direct means of communicating thoughts, and the thoughts are more complete the first time. (Though of course one still has to edit.)

True, although, I think someone did not know this, they'd think you were being an Ann Coulter type. You know, the perfect person, who thinks everyone else should be?

Anyway, just my thoughts on it.

-Chuck

FWIW, I stopped taking Ritalin when I was 19, because of the crazy side effects, I now take Desipramine 50 MG's twice daily. Works just as well, without all the nutty stuff.

Well, I do apologize for being elliptical! I'm so self-absorbed that I tend to assume anyone who stops in knows just about everything about me.

(And some of 'em do.)

Has The Atlantic Online ever thought about formatting theie pages? Ever wonder why a full-size newspaper doesn't print a single full-width column? It's hard to read!

If writing is worth reading*, somebody will. And the content will no longer be determined bu publishers. Or teachers/professors assigning reading materials. The Left's monopoly on the published word has ended. And the very trees they hugged, yet reduced to pulp will be saved-- finally.

*Not this.

Dear Chuck;

If you still be reading this... please explain ADHD to me.

The reason I ask is because (while I cannot prove it) I believe that a lot of what we call 'psychiatric problems' or 'mental health' is, while not hogwash, greatly exaggerated.

I mean, AFAIK, ADHD described on paper (well, you know what I mean) sounds very much like being a typical kid. Short attention span, easily distracted, gets frustrated easily, hyperactive, shoot - most of my cousins could be described in exactly those terms, and yet they're all fine now. Sedate young gentlemen, instead of the young hooligans and ruffians literally climbing and sliding down bannisters.

I'd be really interested in hearing what differences there are. And whether non-pharmaceutical solutions exist.