I tried silicon valley's favorite 'brain-enhancing' drugs

https://splinternews.com/i-tried-silicon-valleys-favorite-brain-enhancing-drugs-1793845948

This article may seem a little outside the box as it is not a direct course concept, but it's relatable, I swear. This post is inspired by a recent Netflix documentary that I watched called Take Your Pills. The article discusses the use of A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. medications such as Adderall (which I'm sure we're all very familiar with) by people without being diagnosed with these disorders.

It seems as though today, we are moving faster than ever and just keeping up to speed can be overwhelming. Not to mention the level of competition between new hires, especially in the tech industry. This article attempts to justify the use of these potentially harmful drugs by saying if we use creatine and protein supplements to get stronger, why can't we use pills to be smarter.

In my opinion, and according to the documentary, it seems as though tech industries such as those in Silicon Valley are moving so fast and are so competitive that it is taking a toll on workers as they struggle to keep up.

Do you ever feel as though people and industries in the 'new economy' are moving overwhelmingly fast? How far would you go to gain an advantage over other applicants or new hires when applying/ working a new job? Are these pills cheating?



Comments

  1. Unknown1 April 2018 at 23:07

    This is super fascinating, great topic!

    While I think there's a fundamental problem with any system that requires people to abuse prescription drugs to get ahead, I'm not sure how I feel about nootropics. If there was more research pointing to it's benefits or detriments, I would be better able to form an opinion. I do think, however, that it is dangerous to play around with one's brain chemistry, especially in a high pressure environment. As was stated, the people creating this stuff are not biochemists.

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  2. Kristina Kyriakis2 April 2018 at 10:02

    Hello! Yes, I agree that everything moves incredibly fast. In the workplace, speed and attention to detail and major elements that will help anyone be successful no matter the industry. Moreover, these are two traits are things that Adderall can help anyone improve. I too watched Take Your Pills recently and I felt as though the comparison to the drug taken in Limitless was very similar. The issue with performance-enhancing drugs is that they are messing with specifically your mind but also your entire body. It is not natural and over time with constant consumption, it will have negative effects on your health just like any addiction would. I would push myself pretty far for my job to try and be the best I could be but once it gets to the point where drugs are necessary to keep up, then I would strictly reconsider my occupation.

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  3. Unknown7 April 2018 at 20:42


    Great post, this was certainly an interesting read!

    I would state that life in general moves incredibly fast and its in your best long term interest to learn to adapt without the use of performance enhancement drugs. While the over medicalization of performance enhancing pills such Adderall, is definitely a problem in todays world, as presented in the Netflix documentary Take Your Pills. Ignoring this ethical issues all together, I would state that these particular drugs do give some applicants an unfair advantage over others. The biggest problem with using these drugs is that they can create an unequal playing field. To be clear, I am not referring to the people who have a serious disorder and actually require these pills to focus, I am referring to the people who take pills to increase their mental performance. I am firm believer that your academic career should reflect your actual intelligence and not your ability to obtain Adderall.

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