Week 6 - Madison Yn

Madison Yn

ASA002 A02

Week 6

Sometimes it may be difficult to recognize the existence of intangible objects or things invisible to the human eye. Since mental illnesses and disorders do not involve explicitly physical or visible symptoms, many people often struggle to grasp the validity of mental issues. Another concept the public lacks belief of are the hazardous effects of wifi on human health as described in Brian Spero’s “Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?: Putting EMF Exposure on Your Radar of Potential Health Risks.” where he emphasizes a need for greater concern and publicization of the harms electromagnetic fields to protect humans, and more specifically, vulnerable populations from these invisible villains. Spero notes the human body perceives the EMFs, caused by industrial wifi, as stressors which the body must continually use energy to ward off. This means those at school or workplaces with wifi are constantly exposed to EMFs and their bodies will be prone to experience symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, depression, nausea, etc. Since EMFS and radio frequency radiation are impalpable, it’s simple for people to ignore or even just forget their existence and not take precautions when it comes to protecting one’s health. A study described in Ethan Watter’s “The Americanization of Mental Illness”, Professor Sheila Mehta conducts a study to observe the reactions people have towards those who explain their mental illness is psychosocial or bio-medically induced. The results indicated people were less sympathetic and understandings towards those who attributed their mental illness to biomedical causes which reveals how scientific explanations less likely to be accepted by society just as the scientific reasoning for the harms of wifi are similarly perceived. It appears that promotion of science and facts is not necessarily the most effective method to create a more accepting public and perhaps the best way to reduce the stigma associated with unfathomable concepts is to appeal to the sensitivities, emotion, and pathos in people. This could be executed in papers like “On Some College Campuses, Focuses on Asian American Mental Health” where Katherine Kam describes the external factors that can influence mental distresses among the Asian American student population. Although this article is chiefly concentrated on the environmental pressures plaguing Asian Americans, it introduces topics such as parent and self expectations or discrimination that plenty of people can relate to despite not identifying with the Asian American community. Incorporating experiences, topics, and concepts that a majority of people can attest to can be a possible solution to fostering a more receptive and supportive public.

In terms of medicine and mental health, how is Western culture able to so drastically impact and influence other cultures and countries symptom repertoires?

References

Kam, K. (2013, September 11). On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health. Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://newamericamedia.org/2013/09/on-some-college-campuses-a-focus-on-asian-american-mental-health.php

Spero, B. (n.d.). Is Wi-Fi in Schools Safe?: Putting EMF Exposure on Your Radar of Potential Health Risks. Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://bostonparentspaper.com/article/is-wi-fi-in-schools-safe.html

The Mental Health Safety Net. (n.d.). In P. Bagley (Ed.). Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://www1.mbcalyn.com/?kw=politics

Watters, E. (2010, January 09). The Americanization of Mental Illness. Retrieved October 29, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html