Comments on: The Psychology of Google Glass http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/08/the-psychology-of-google-glass/ Dr. John Grohol's daily update on all things in psychology and mental health. Since 1999. Sat, 11 May 2013 18:41:03 +0000 hourly 1 By: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/08/the-psychology-of-google-glass/comment-page-1/#comment-743702 John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Sat, 11 May 2013 11:28:29 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=45173#comment-743702 Exactly -- for people with disabilities or handicaps, I can see this being a great helper! I could see it becoming a game changer in many people's lives and help improve their quality of living. But for most people, I just see it as a total distraction to genuine and mindful human interaction. Exactly — for people with disabilities or handicaps, I can see this being a great helper! I could see it becoming a game changer in many people’s lives and help improve their quality of living.

But for most people, I just see it as a total distraction to genuine and mindful human interaction.

]]> By: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/08/the-psychology-of-google-glass/comment-page-1/#comment-743701 John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Sat, 11 May 2013 11:26:07 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=45173#comment-743701 Therapists aren't private investigators -- they aren't there to interpret reality to the patient. They are there to help the patient interpret the patient's perception of reality. This has worked just fine for many decades, with millions of patients helped. Google Glass, in such a context, seems just like a technological time-waster that will do little to improve a patient's psychotherapy outcomes. Just consider an example. A patient comes in and complains, "This woman was so rude to me while I was getting my coffee. It completely ruined my whole day!" Now, do we really need to see whether the woman was as rude as the patient believes she was to her? Or is it the reaction -- and what being rude to the patient really <em>means</em> (e.g., the internal self-talk dialogue, such as "I'm worthless and everybody treats me like dirt") -- more important? I'd argue the former is just wasting the patient's time, while the latter is what psychotherapy is primarily about. Sure, there might be exceptions to this, but they are just that -- exceptions. As for a replay of the Truman Show (really, how original is that going to be?), no thanks. I have zero interest in watching other people's lives when I'm too busy living my own. Therapists aren’t private investigators — they aren’t there to interpret reality to the patient. They are there to help the patient interpret the patient’s perception of reality. This has worked just fine for many decades, with millions of patients helped. Google Glass, in such a context, seems just like a technological time-waster that will do little to improve a patient’s psychotherapy outcomes.

Just consider an example. A patient comes in and complains, “This woman was so rude to me while I was getting my coffee. It completely ruined my whole day!” Now, do we really need to see whether the woman was as rude as the patient believes she was to her? Or is it the reaction — and what being rude to the patient really means (e.g., the internal self-talk dialogue, such as “I’m worthless and everybody treats me like dirt”) — more important? I’d argue the former is just wasting the patient’s time, while the latter is what psychotherapy is primarily about.

Sure, there might be exceptions to this, but they are just that — exceptions.

As for a replay of the Truman Show (really, how original is that going to be?), no thanks. I have zero interest in watching other people’s lives when I’m too busy living my own.

]]> By: Wendy http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/08/the-psychology-of-google-glass/comment-page-1/#comment-743662 Wendy Thu, 09 May 2013 00:38:17 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=45173#comment-743662 Having spent several years paralysed, I can see major advantages for the dissabled. Apart from that, I orefer to use the keyboard for my laptop, etc. Much faster & I often prefer to remain quiet ... or, listen to the radio or watch tv while using my computer. If there are others around one while using the Google glass, how do they know when one is speaking to them, or to the computer? Love the development of the technology for the other applications. Having spent several years paralysed, I can see major advantages for the dissabled. Apart from that, I orefer to use the keyboard for my laptop, etc. Much faster & I often prefer to remain quiet … or, listen to the radio or watch tv while using my computer. If there are others around one while using the Google glass, how do they know when one is speaking to them, or to the computer? Love the development of the technology for the other applications.

]]> By: TPG http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/08/the-psychology-of-google-glass/comment-page-1/#comment-743659 TPG Wed, 08 May 2013 22:56:04 +0000 http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=45173#comment-743659 Consider the therapeutic possibilities in the future! Rather than relying on a client's report of something that happened, the therapist can actually watch it unfold if the client happened to be wearing his or her Google glass and it was set for permanent record (as many peoples' will be, it's inevitable). Similarly, who's going to be the first to put their entire life up online for anyone to see at anytime in retrospect? Surely there will be people who will record their entire lives for archiving and playback. Consider the therapeutic possibilities in the future! Rather than relying on a client’s report of something that happened, the therapist can actually watch it unfold if the client happened to be wearing his or her Google glass and it was set for permanent record (as many peoples’ will be, it’s inevitable).

Similarly, who’s going to be the first to put their entire life up online for anyone to see at anytime in retrospect? Surely there will be people who will record their entire lives for archiving and playback.

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