Modafinil - The Limitless Drug
The medication of society to
optimize one’s health is a growing issue. If we can’t pay attention in school,
we medicate with Adderall. If we are sad, we medicate with trazodone. If we
want to perform at a high level professionally, we medicate with hyper-focusing
drugs like the one I want to focus on, Modafinil. This over reliance on
medication to have the perfectly optimized level of health is a dangerous path
to be on in our society. If we see ourselves as reliant on these medications,
and for whatever reason, are unable to continue taking these drugs, our
standards of health will be hyper inflated.
Media’s role has a major impact
on the public saturation and subsequent adoption of self-diagnostic and
self-prescribing behaviors within the off-label use of medications. The
rhetoric used in news segments is one that has been proven over the last 50
years to be effective in changing public perception of drugs. This was first
seen with birth control pill, which garnered extensive media coverage and
resulted in the, “upheaval of sexual behavior” (Kruvand). This is true for the
drug called Modafinil, prescribed to those struggling with irregular sleeping
patterns and narcolepsy. The news segment analyzed frames the pill in positive
rhetoric with terms like ‘smart pill’ and the pill providing an ’edge’ for its
users.
With
this information in mind, we will need to discuss several important questions.
One being, whether there is regulation for such media coverage? Should there be
regulation in media coverage? Would this violate first amendment rights? What
would be an effective system to ensure the safety of the public with coverage
that impacts their health?
As someone who takes a prescription sleep aid, I find this extremely interesting. The fact that users are experiencing this sort of "mental high" makes me wonder if this isn't just a side effect of actually sleeping well. I know when I first started getting more than my average of 3 hours a night I felt incredible and on top of the world. I also can't help but wonder if the media coverage this pill has received is going to act as a signal boost for this pill. Perhaps people will now start going to their doctors saying they can't sleep in order to get a prescription for this super pill, much the way some might do with Adderall or other regulated medications. While I feel that any regulation of such coverage would certainly violate first amendment rights, perhaps this is one of those things that needs such regulation so as to protect us from ourselves.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I think you bring up a great point about Adderall. When Adderall first came out in the market it was a huge epidemic and sadly still seems to be the case now. I hear students all the time saying things like "I'm going to need an Adderall to study for this test" or "I would have failed that test if it wasn't for Adderall". Students are relying on medicine to succeed in school.This is a very dangerous path for society that can lead to numerous side effects, especially if you are not prescribe to the medicine. This can lead to multiple problems such as drug addiction and dependency. In terms of regulation of media coverage, I think for medicine there should be regulation because giving terms like "smart pill" and "superhero pill" can be very misleading. Medicine is a powerful thing that needs to be regulated through the media for the safety of the public especially when experts do not know the long term side effects as mentioned in the Modafinil news segment.
ReplyDeleteI think this news story is a prime example of normalization vs. normation. We are told to, and in many ways expected, to stretch our minds to their fullest capacity. This product promises just that. However, is this product considered cheating? I wonder if this has any root in why it is seen as being taboo. I would not agree that media coverage like this should be limited and I believe it would infringe On the constitutional right of freedom of the press. Because this is a news report rather than an ad, I think the question should be why do we think this sort of media coverage should be limited in the first place rather than if it actually should. Where does this fear stem from and is it rhetorically justified? In my opinion, I would say that a it is not. This pill does exactly what we are striving for. The issue is more that it takes a secondary substance, rather than naturally manifesting in the mind. But how is this different than brain games?
ReplyDeleteWow! This is crazy! I have definitely not heard of this pill before, but I have heard of the movie "Limitless". I loved that movie, but I had never believed the pill employeed in it could be even remotely real. Thus, this commercial kind of gave me chills. To think that people want medication that has these sort of effects is intriguing. That people are willingly injesting a pill for a use that it was never meant for. I live by the philosophy of medication as a last resort. If my brain isn't functing at its optimal level than I have probably been overworking myself or am just having an off day. I never think about popping a couple of pills as a solution. Although, with our universally overworked workforce I can see how this system of reaching optimal brain function is attractive. Yet, I am a little nervous when pondering how quickly we as a society jump towards medication over simple things like rest.
ReplyDeleteThis ad is extremely interesting because drugs like Modafinil and Adderrall are so popular these days. I find that people are becoming too reliant on such drugs to complete every day tasks. Pills that help with brain optimization or "brain pills" are definitely culturally saturated to the point where people are taking them without prescriptions. This is a great example of optimization where people are always looking for something to make their bodies or minds even better and leads people to never be quite satisfied.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this advertisement. I find it interesting because adderall has become a popular go to drug for college students. I do think that people are too reliant on drugs instead of natural medicine or their own body's natural ability. This over use of medication often leads people to addiction to prescription drugs to deal with other problems that they may have in their life. I think there does need to be regulation of some sort to help people live safely and use prescription drugs correctly.
ReplyDelete